Thousands of Penn State faculty members have voted to unionize, marking one of the largest union elections in Pennsylvania in decades, according to organizers. The newly formed union, the Penn State Faculty Alliance (PSFA), is affiliated with SEIU Local 668 and consists of more than 5,000 members. The organization said 2,510 faculty members voted in favor of union representation. Years in the makingAccording to union organizers, the election result follows months of faculty mobilization and years of organizing efforts. Faculty members filed for union recognition on Dec. 9, 2025. Ballots were mailed on April 1, 2026, and were due back to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board by May 6. “This result demonstrates that Penn State faculty care deeply about the university’s future and want a meaningful role in shaping it,” PSFA said. ‘This is a win for all Penn State faculty’Marissa Baez, an adjunct lecturer in arts and architecture at Penn State University Park and a member of the organizing committee, said the vote gives faculty a collective voice in university decision-making.“I am very excited about the results of the election,” Baez said. “As faculty, we all came together to achieve a collective voice in Penn State’s decision-making. Now, we can move forward as educators to create a better work environment for all faculty and support the best learning environment for our students.”Beth Seymour, a teaching professor of anthropology at Penn State Altoona and another organizing committee member, said the union will help faculty advocate for both working conditions and higher education more broadly.“This is a win for all Penn State faculty and an incredible opportunity to advocate for higher education in Pennsylvania,” Seymour said. “We encourage all faculty to join PSFA and get involved, as we look forward to working with the university and quickly negotiating a strong contract for the faculty.” Next up: Contract negotiationsJulio Palma, an associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Fayette and a member of the organizing committee, said the union aims to be representative, democratic and inclusive as it begins bargaining for a first contract.“This is not the end of the process,” Palma said. “It is the beginning of the hard and important work ahead to help uphold the university’s mission and values.”SEIU Local 668 President Steve Catanese said the union’s focus will now shift to contract negotiations.With the election decided, the next major step will be negotiating a first union contract between Penn State faculty and the university. Organizers say they hope the agreement will address workplace conditions, faculty voice in governance and support for the university’s academic mission.SEIU Local 668 represents about 25,000 public-sector workers across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Vote comes amid campus closure plans This comes as the university moves forward with plans to close several branch campuses, including Penn State York and Penn State Mont Alto. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —
Thousands of Penn State faculty members have voted to unionize, marking one of the largest union elections in Pennsylvania in decades, according to organizers.
The newly formed union, the Penn State Faculty Alliance (PSFA), is affiliated with SEIU Local 668 and consists of more than 5,000 members.
The organization said 2,510 faculty members voted in favor of union representation.
Penn State Faculty Alliance
PSFA
Years in the making
According to union organizers, the election result follows months of faculty mobilization and years of organizing efforts.
Faculty members filed for union recognition on Dec. 9, 2025. Ballots were mailed on April 1, 2026, and were due back to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board by May 6.
“This result demonstrates that Penn State faculty care deeply about the university’s future and want a meaningful role in shaping it,” PSFA said.
‘This is a win for all Penn State faculty’
Marissa Baez, an adjunct lecturer in arts and architecture at Penn State University Park and a member of the organizing committee, said the vote gives faculty a collective voice in university decision-making.
“I am very excited about the results of the election,” Baez said. “As faculty, we all came together to achieve a collective voice in Penn State’s decision-making. Now, we can move forward as educators to create a better work environment for all faculty and support the best learning environment for our students.”
Beth Seymour, a teaching professor of anthropology at Penn State Altoona and another organizing committee member, said the union will help faculty advocate for both working conditions and higher education more broadly.
“This is a win for all Penn State faculty and an incredible opportunity to advocate for higher education in Pennsylvania,” Seymour said. “We encourage all faculty to join PSFA and get involved, as we look forward to working with the university and quickly negotiating a strong contract for the faculty.”
Next up: Contract negotiations
Julio Palma, an associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Fayette and a member of the organizing committee, said the union aims to be representative, democratic and inclusive as it begins bargaining for a first contract.
“This is not the end of the process,” Palma said. “It is the beginning of the hard and important work ahead to help uphold the university’s mission and values.”
SEIU Local 668 President Steve Catanese said the union’s focus will now shift to contract negotiations.
With the election decided, the next major step will be negotiating a first union contract between Penn State faculty and the university. Organizers say they hope the agreement will address workplace conditions, faculty voice in governance and support for the university’s academic mission.
SEIU Local 668 represents about 25,000 public-sector workers across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
Vote comes amid campus closure plans
This comes as the university moves forward with plans to close several branch campuses, including Penn State York and Penn State Mont Alto.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.