Posts tagged Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
Penn State faculty vote to unionize in one of Pennsylvania’s largest union elections
May 16, 2026 // With the election decided, the next major step will be negotiating a first union contract between Penn State faculty and the university. Organizers say they hope the agreement will address workplace conditions, faculty voice in governance and support for the university’s academic mission. SEIU Local 668 represents about 25,000 public-sector workers across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. This comes as the university moves forward with plans to close several branch campuses, including Penn State York and Penn State Mont Alto.
How Representative Are Pennsylvania’s Public Sector Unions?
April 21, 2026 // In one sense, this is a small ask of union officials, who are already legally bound to fairly represent all employees once the union is certified as representative of a given workplace—whether those employees voted for the union or sign up to become union members. In most states with unionized government workplaces, state agencies, counties, and cities can withdraw recognition from a union and refuse to bargain if they doubt that the union truly represents a majority of their employees. Yet, according to election data obtained by the Commonwealth Foundation, many of Pennsylvania’s government unions won the right to represent workplaces (or “bargaining units”) without majority support from employees. In fact, public records from 302 government union representation elections, conducted from 2011 to 2025, reveal that one in every seven unions won without majority support.
Should RAs be included in the Penn State graduate student union? University files appeal
January 27, 2026 // The Coalition of Graduate Employees at Penn State worked for years for the roughly 5,000 graduate students to vote in a union election. Graduate students previously tried to unionize in 2017-18 but were unsuccessful. Other unionization efforts have also been in the works at Penn State, including for faculty. In December the Penn State Faculty Alliance filed a petition to hold a union election for Penn State faculty. Teamsters Local 8, a labor union representing technical service workers at every Penn State campus, is also seeking to significantly expand its membership by organizing some university workers who currently fall outside of its scope.
Penn State Graduate Students Vote in Favor of Union
November 14, 2025 // University administrators have said that they believe graduate students are primarily students, and that the do not need a union to have their concerns heard.
Temple Union of Resident Assistants becomes first undergraduate, public university union in state
October 27, 2025 // The organization, comprised of 126 resident assistants and peer mentors from University Housing and Residential Life, has been pushing for union membership since Fall 2024. RAs and peer mentors began distributing union cards in August 2024. TURA was created to improve working conditions for RAs and peer mentors through fair compensation and consistent worker treatment. In previous years, RAs would receive 1,000 diamond dollars, free housing, an unlimited meal plan and a $200 tuition stipend. Diamond dollars became a defunct campus currency several years ago, and Temple never replaced the compensation. Returning RAs and PMs can only work 15 or 20 hours outside of their UHRL duties, while first years can only work 10 to 15 hours.
Five years after failed vote, Pitt grad students unionize
November 30, 2024 // From 2021 to 2023, nearly 64,000 U.S. grad student workers joined unions. By comparison, only 20,394 students unionized from 2013 through 2020. Today, four in 10 grad student employees belong to labor groups. This trend was, experts say, driven in part by the pandemic and by the administration change from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in 2021, which ushered in a National Labor Relations Board more amenable to organizers.
Teacher’s Union Accused Of Laundering $1.5 Million To Bankroll Josh Shapiro’s Campaign
July 25, 2024 // The Freedom Foundation filed three complaints that allege the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) illegally laundered and sent $1.5 million to fund Shapiro’s campaign, according to a press release by Freedom Foundation. The complaints were filed with various parties in Pennsylvania, including the FBI and IRS, as Shapiro has emerged as a contender to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. “PSEA’s scheme to secretly launder nearly $1.5 million in members’ dues through the Democratic Governors Association to support Josh Shapiro’s 2022 candidacy appears to have violated both an array of Pennsylvania laws and the Internal Revenue Code,” Freedom Foundation Director of Research and Government Affairs Maxford Nelsen said in the press release.
Public employee unions took over Michigan. Now they’re eyeing Pennsylvania
May 7, 2024 // Bad as this is for taxpayers, the union-backed legislators have made things even worse for workers. A new law requires government employers to provide unions with employees’ personal contact information within 30 days of hiring. Employers must update and resubmit this information every 90 days. Unions are thus given free rein to inundate workers with political or other material whether it is wanted or not.
In a case that could be destined for the Supreme Court, Allentown Symphony musician says he shouldn’t have to pay union dues to perform
April 15, 2022 // “Our client’s goal is to make sure that Janus is expanded to all of the bargaining units that are covered by the Supreme Court decision,” said Nathan McGrath, president of The Fairness Center, a public interest legal group that represents those who object to mandatory public-sector union membership.
Port Authority union seeks preliminary injunction against agency’s vaccine mandate
February 28, 2022 // The ATU Local 85 has filed a grievance and a charge with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board alleging that the Port Authority violated the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act by implementing the mandate without first bargaining with the union.