Members of the union representing 2,700 technical service workers at Penn State voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if deemed necessary as negotiations for a new contract with the university continue.
Among the 2,053 Teamsters Local Union 8 members who voted, 1,878, or 91%, cast their ballot in favor of authorizing the bargaining committee to take strike action should they fail to reach a deal, according to results posted on the union’s Facebook page. Voting was open from 8 a.m. Tuesday to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The union represents employees at University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses who work in areas including custodial service, emergency medical response, food service, housing service, trades, science, athletics, agriculture, research, printing, engineering, transportation, airport services, ITS and media, according to its website.
Teamsters Local 8’s current three-year contract is set to expire on Sunday, June 30, and the union has been engaged in negotiations with the university since May 2.
According to the university’s human resources website, the union’s most recent proposal includes wage increases totaling 32% over the next three years, as well as market adjustments for some positions up to an additional 50%. Penn State’s most recent counteroffer on Tuesday proposed wage increases of 3% each year for the next three years. (The expiring contract provided an increase of 2% in the first year followed by 2.5% each of the next two years.)
The parties are also negotiating health care benefits, shift differentials, on-call rates, sick leave, severance and other issues.
“We have had very little movement from the university on our wage proposal and they continue to drag the process out,” the union wrote in a strike authorization vote Q&A. “Their counteroffer was unrealistic and not in the ballpark. We need to let them know we are serious about securing substantial raises for our members.”
The bargaining committee wrote that it “will do everything that we can to reach a fair agreement without a strike,” but that the authorization allows it to “leverage Penn State to finish bargaining with us for a fair contract.”
Authorization does not necessarily mean a strike will take place. If it does the General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has authorized strike benefits in the amount of up to $1,000 per week for each member, according to the Q&A.
The negotiations come as the university looks to eliminate its budget deficit by 2026, a process that includes $94 million in cuts university-wide. This spring, about 10% of Commonwealth Campus employees accepted voluntary buyouts.
Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for human resources, said in a statement that Penn State wants to provide a fair contract that also accounts for the overall needs of the university.
“Penn State’s goal is to bargain in good faith to reach a fair and competitive agreement that recognizes and rewards our valued technical service employees, while supporting our mission of providing unparalleled access to education and public service,” Wilkes said. “Even as the University continues to work diligently to come to terms on a new contract with Teamsters Local 8, we also must consider the needs and expectations of our entire University community.
“We remain determined to find solutions and common ground at the bargaining table, with the goal of reaching an agreement that continues to offer a quality work life, competitive compensation and benefits to our employees. However, as any responsible institution, we also have continuity plans ready to be implemented to help minimize potential disruptions and continue serving our university community.”
The Penn State Teamsters have the backing of at least two other local labor organizations.
Seven Mountains AFL-CIO and its affiliates “fully support them in every step they take to win a fair contract, and will be there with them in solidarity,” President Connor Lewis and Executive Vice President Denelle Korin wrote in a statement.
“Hard-working Teamsters are the backbone of University Park and the commonwealth campuses,” Lewis and Korin wrote.”They deserve a contract that values their essential work. By standing up, Teamsters are fighting for a better university for all Penn State employees, and for our community. Penn State has disregarded employee well-being for too long. It’s high time President Bendapudi’s administration starts getting serious about fair employee treatment, whether or not they belong to a union. They can start by reaching a fair deal with Local 8.”
Pennsylvania State Education Association Central Region and Division presidents Del Fuller and Anne Styborski also said they “strongly support” Teamsters Local 8 members.
“As Presidents of PSEA’s Central Region and Division, encompassing over 10,000 educators and education support professionals, we know how crucial staff are to making institutions of learning run,” Fuller and Styborski wrote in a statement. “Penn State could not function without Teamsters Local 8 members, and they deserve a fair contract that honors their crucial role in the University community.
“We urge Penn State to bargain a fair deal with their employees. We are ready to support Teamsters at the University Park, Dubois, and Altoona campuses as they negotiate for a new contract.”
