We, the graduate workers at the University of Pennsylvania, present the following contract demands to improve our lives, to establish safer working conditions, and to support our work as teachers and researchers. These demands are based on bargaining surveys completed by a broad and diverse group of graduate workers and conversations among coworkers across the University.
Our demands reflect the specific needs of graduate workers at Penn and our vision for a fairer, more just University and workplace. The demands take into account the many needs of graduates with diverse living and working conditions, as well as historic shifts in the cost of living and in higher education more broadly.
We believe that the achievement of these goals will not only improve our lives as graduate workers, but also support the competitive recruitment and retention of the most talented, diverse group of graduate workers, enabling the University to live up to its own ideals and reputation as a world-class institution.
Please note that these initial bargaining demands are general, non-exhaustive, and do not aim to capture the detail and specificity of contract articles themselves.
1. Win financial security and fair compensation for all
- Competitive stipends and/or hourly wages for all graduate workers, and regular raises that reflect the rising cost of living in Philadelphia.
- Reasonably extended appointment lengths with guaranteed funding (including transition funding), tuition and fee remission, and retirement benefits.
2. Improve and expand healthcare coverage and support
- Improved access to and control over healthcare benefits, with lower out-of-pocket costs, and expanded and protected coverage of services (including mental, reproductive, and gender-affirming healthcare, specialist services, and medications).
- Improved and adequate dental and vision coverage for all graduate workers.
- Expanded healthcare benefits, including dependent coverage for all graduate workers.
3. Win protection from harassment, bullying, and discrimination
- Comprehensive and enforceable protection from harassment, bullying, and discrimination, including timely notification of rights, and interim protections during the grievance process.
- Adequate and expanded list of actions that constitute harassment, bullying, and discrimination, and an expanded list of protected groups.
- Effective training about discrimination, harassment, safety, and privacy for faculty, research staff, and graduate workers.
4. Establish strong and fair grievance procedures
- Grievance procedures that are conscientious, neutral, student-accessible, and survivor-oriented, and that give graduate workers options that are independent from Penn, Title IX, Ombuds, and intradepartmental procedures.
- Grievance procedures with clearly defined, expeditious timelines that allow graduate workers to fairly and effectively defend all the rights and benefits won in our contract or guaranteed by law.
- Just cause protections from dismissal, discipline, and retaliation.
5. Win protections for graduate workers with disabilities
- An enforceable, affordable, timely, straightforward, and fair accommodations process, with the right to an advocate.
- Enforceable workplace, classroom, testing, and accessibility accommodations, including adequate staffing and training in relevant offices.
- Regular audits and up-to-date maps of campus accessibility, with enforceable, prompt repair of accessibility features.
6. Win protections for international graduate workers
- A streamlined, affordable, and comprehensive visa renewal procedure, including guaranteed funding and paid leave for visa-related fees and travel, timely return of immigration documents, and access to resources for visa processing and renewal, including adequate staff and training.
- Financial support for international graduate workers that recognizes unique expenses, such as relocation costs and additional tax burdens.
- Rehiring protections for international student workers after loss of visa status.
- Sanctuary and protection for international graduate workers from immigration authorities.
7. Establish adequate support for families and grad workers with children and dependents
- Expanded and adequate childcare subsidies, paid parental leave, and full benefits coverage for dependents.
8. Expand protected time off and leave
- Guaranteed and expanded access to paid sick and medical leave, as well as family, personal, and other leaves of absence.
- Guaranteed reinstatement of the same or similar position upon the graduate worker’s return from leave.
9. Establish clear and fair work expectations
- Ensure that grad workers work fair hours, with clear expectations regarding work duties and hours spent accomplishing those duties.
- Compensation that reflects the amount of work performed, including time spent on mandatory training.
10. Secure access to a safe and productive work environment
- Ensure that no graduate worker is subject to unsafe or hazardous working conditions. This includes protections against physical, chemical, biological, nuclear, environmental, and public health hazards, such as PPE, remote work, air filtration, and lab safety infrastructure.
- Access to and compensation for training and resources for necessary safety procedures.
- Access to resources needed to complete work duties, including work space, computing resources, and software.
- Guaranteed access to gender-neutral bathrooms and lactation rooms in University buildings.
11. Secure protections for free speech, academic freedom and intellectual property
- Protections against discipline, dismissal, harassment, and intimidation on the basis of academic freedom and protected speech.
- Transparent policies for intellectual property assignment, including support for students wishing to protect their research and teaching material.
12. Improve transit and parking benefits
- Improved, affordable, equitable transit and parking benefits to relieve the burden of commuting costs and support graduate workers with bicycles, cars, and other forms of transportation.
13. Have Penn pay its fair share
- Robust University financial contributions to Philadelphia and local community organizations.
14. Ensure union rights and security for all
- Recognition of all graduate workers who do provide teaching and research work, regardless of employee title or funding, as bargaining unit members with equal rights and protections.
- Union security to ensure that graduate workers have the resources to engage in powerful representation, including contract enforcement and orientation.