Penn State Faculty unionization election set for April 1 to May 6

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State faculty will vote on whether to unionize following a petition filed by the Penn State Faculty Alliance (PFSA) with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB). The proposed bargaining unit includes tenure-line (pre-tenure and tenured), non-tenure-line and part-time faculty, excluding the College of Medicine and the Applied Research Laboratory, and would be affiliated with SEIU Local 668.

The PLRB has issued its Election Order, which outlines key details of the election process, including voter eligibility, timelines and procedures for requesting or submitting ballots. The order is available for review on the University’s faculty union website.

The election will take place through a mail-in ballot process administered by the PLRB.

Ballots will be mailed to eligible faculty on April 1 along with voting instructions and return materials. Faculty who do not receive a ballot by April 10 may request a ballot by contacting the PLRB at katowens@pa.gov. Requests should include the individual’s full name, mailing address, job title, reason for the request and employer (The Pennsylvania State University). The deadline to request a ballot is April 22.

To be counted, completed ballots must be received by the PLRB in its Harrisburg office by May 6.

Ballots will be counted by the PLRB beginning at 10 a.m. on May 13; and continuing through May 15, if necessary. The election will determine whether a majority of those who vote support representation by SEIU Local 668. The outcome is based on a simple majority of ballots cast.

Voting is conducted by secret ballot through the PLRB. Individual votes are confidential and are not shared with the University or the Union.

If a majority of participating voters choose union representation, the Union would serve as the exclusive representative for faculty in the bargaining unit in matters related to terms and conditions of employment, consistent with Pennsylvania’s collective bargaining laws.

Additional information about the election is available on the Penn State faculty unionization website or by contacting unionfacts@psu.edu. Faculty with questions about the voting process may contact the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board at katowens@pa.gov.