The outcome of an election is determined by the majority of those employees that vote. If an employee elects not to participate in the election (vote) this does not count as either a yes vote or a no vote. Employees have to vote for their voice to be heard.

Typically, a union collects signed authorization cards from employees. If enough employees sign cards, the union may file a petition with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) for an election. The PLRB determines who is eligible to vote and conducts the election. If a majority of voting employees vote in favor of unionization, the union is certified and will negotiate a contract with the employer.

Changes are not immediate. The union and University must first negotiate a contract, which can take months or even years. Until an agreement is reached, existing policies and conditions generally remain in place.

The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) will determine the timeline for hearings, if needed, and a potential election if a petition for representation is filed. The process typically takes at least a few months.

Unionization does not guarantee changes to salaries or benefits. Wages, healthcare and retirement plans would be subject to collective bargaining, which could result in benefits remaining the same, improving or changing in other ways. Union members also may pay union dues, which could impact overall compensation.

An employee union will not impact the University’s strategy regarding the future of the Commonwealth Campuses. The University would retain the discretion to determine whether to maintain ongoing operations at campuses and what level of activities take place on campuses.

Unions determine their proposals through internal decision-making processes over which the University has no control, which may involve input from its members, leadership and bargaining representatives.

Yes, layoffs can occur under a union contract, and collective bargaining agreements typically have provisions that govern layoffs.

Yes. If there is an employee union, the union could call for a strike before a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is reached or when a CBA expires.

Penn State recognizes that employees who are represented by a union have the legal right to strike when permitted by Pennsylvania law. However, Penn State believes that any work stoppage by faculty or staff would be detrimental to the University’s educational mission, as well as to impacted employees and their families.

Once a union election process begins and during collective bargaining if a union is certified, there are legal restrictions on the University’s ability to make changes to wages, benefits or working conditions.

Once a contract is in place, all employees covered by it must abide by its terms. Employees in the bargaining unit typically have an opportunity to vote on the contract under rules determined by the union, but if it is approved, it applies to everyone in the bargaining unit.

If there is a petition filed to represent Penn State faculty, tenured, tenure-line and non-tenure-line faculty, including part-time faculty, at all Penn State campuses would have to be included, with the possible exception of some or all College of Medicine faculty. The PLRB would have to decide whether College of Medicine faculty should be included.

If faculty unionize, all faculty in covered classifications will be part of the bargaining unit and bound by any collective bargaining agreement that is negotiated with the University.

Because Penn State is a public university, you cannot legally be required to join a union or pay dues or fees to a union. However, a union may limit the rights of non-members of the union such as not allowing non-members to vote in elections for union officers, not allowing non-members to vote on whether to accept a contract, not allowing non-members to vote on whether to go on strike and charging fees to non-members to represent them in grievances or other proceedings. Faculty in covered classifications who do not join the union or pay dues or fees are still bound by any collective bargaining agreement that is negotiated with the University.

Yes, faculty have several ways to raise concerns without a union. These include shared governance structures such as the University Faculty Senate’s Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities, the university and unit ombudspersons, direct communication with department chairs and administrators, and the Penn State Hotline overseen by the Office of Ethics and Compliance. Additionally, faculty can collaborate through committees, advocacy groups or professional organizations to address workplace issues.

Shared governance would continue to exist, however, Faculty Senate would not have authority over employment-related matters, which would be governed by the negotiated collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Issues such as benefits, employment policies and related committees would likely fall under the scope of collective bargaining rather than the Senate.