Penn State Teamsters Union approves strike if no new agreement can be reached with university

Members of the union representing 2,700 technical service employees at Pennsylvania State University have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike if deemed necessary while negotiations over a new contract with the university continue.

Of the 2,053 members of Teamsters Local Union 8 who cast their ballots, 1,878, or 91%, voted to give the bargaining committee the authority to strike if it fails to reach an agreement, according to results posted on the union’s website. Facebook siteVoting was open from Tuesday 8:00 a.m. to Wednesday 5:00 p.m.

The union represents employees at University Park and Commonwealth Campuses who work in areas such as janitorial, emergency medical, food service, housing services, skilled trades, science, sports, agriculture, research, printing, engineering, transportation, airport services, ITS and media, according to its website.

Teamsters Local 8 – Local Group 8 current three-year contract expires on Sunday, June 30, and the union has been in negotiations with the university since May 2.

According to the university Human Resources website, The union’s latest proposal calls for wage increases totaling 32% over the next three years, plus market adjustments for some positions of up to an additional 50%. Penn State’s latest counteroffer on Tuesday called for wage increases of 3% annually for the next three years. (The expiring contract called for a 2% increase in the first year and 2.5% in each of the following two years.)

The parties also negotiate health insurance benefits, shift allowances, on-call pay, sick leave, severance pay and other issues.

“We have received little movement from the university on our wage proposal and they continue to drag out the process,” the union wrote in a question-and-answer session on the strike authorization. “Their counteroffer was unrealistic and inadequate. We need to let them know that we are serious about securing substantial raises for our members.”

The bargaining committee wrote that it would “do everything in its power to reach a fair agreement without a strike,” but that the authorization would allow it to “put pressure on Penn State to complete negotiations with us on a fair contract.”

An authorization does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur. If a strike does occur, the General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has approved strike compensation of up to $1,000 per week for each member, the question-and-answer session said.

The negotiations come as the university seeks to eliminate its budget deficit by 2026, a process that includes: Cuts of $94 million university-wide. This spring, about 10% of Commonwealth Campus employees accepted voluntary severance payments.

Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for human resources, said in a statement that Penn State wants to offer a fair contract that also takes into account the overall needs of the university.

“Penn State’s goal is to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair and competitive agreement that recognizes and rewards our valued technical services employees while supporting our mission to provide unparalleled access to education and public service,” Wilkes said. “While the university continues to work diligently to negotiate a new contract with Teamsters Local 8, we must also consider the needs and expectations of our entire university community.

“We remain committed to finding solutions and common ground at the bargaining table with the goal of reaching an agreement that continues to provide our employees with a quality work life, competitive compensation and benefits. However, like any responsible institution, we also have continuity plans in place that can be implemented to minimize potential disruption and continue to serve our university community.”

The Penn State Teamsters are supported by at least two other local unions.

The Seven Mountains AFL-CIO “stands ready to meet all of Teamsters Local 8’s demands and fight for a fair contract,” President Connor Lewis wrote in a statement.

“Teamsters Local 8 members are a cornerstone of the Penn State community and the region’s economy,” Lewis wrote. “We urge Penn State to make progress in working out a fair agreement with its workers.”

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 the PSEA Central Region and Division, which includes over 10,000 educators and educational support professionals, we know how important human resources are to the operation of educational institutions,” Fuller and Styborski wrote in a statement. “Penn State could not function without the members of Teamsters Local 8, and they deserve a fair contract that recognizes their critical role in the university community.”

“We call on Penn State to negotiate a fair deal with their employees. We stand ready to support the Teamsters at the University Park, Dubois and Altoona locations as they negotiate a new contract.”