PENN LIBRARIES UNITED



Penn Libraries United files to unionize!




We are very excited to share that, with support from a supermajority of our colleagues, we just filed our petition for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board and notified our Director of our intent to unionize. This means we are officially “public” with our union campaign!

Forming a union will make Penn Libraries stronger. It will empower staff to build a safe, inclusive workplace free from discrimination and harassment. A union of, by, and for the workers of Penn Libraries will help reduce turnover, improve job satisfaction, and give voice to underrepresented workers in organizational decision-making, strengthening the Libraries in profound ways.

A supermajority of professional staff have signed union authorization cards, meaning we can finally win a union that represents ALL union-eligible staff at the Libraries. The issues that have been shared throughout the campaign unify all Libraries staff and together we will finally have the strength to enact real change.

We are looking forward to joining our already unionized colleagues in AFSCME DC47 Local 590. We would not have reached this point without their support, the guidance of other unionized (and unionizing) academic library workers, and the efforts of everyone who has signed on to support the union.

What happens next? #

This morning, we notified Penn of our intent to unionize and requested voluntary recognition of our union. Voluntary recognition means that Penn respects our authorization cards filed with the NLRB as evidence we want to unionize, instead of requiring an election. If Penn voluntarily recognizes us, that means we can move more quickly into contract negotiations. If they don’t, we will proceed to an election where we will vote to unionize and then proceed to negotiations.

What can you do? #

Follow and share our social media posts! Please tell your friends and family to follow us. The more people see our effort, the more power we have!

Watch this space for updates as we move forward into a new and exciting chapter in the history of the Penn Libraries.