UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., - Several weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) provided Penn State and the Coalition of Graduate Employees (CGE) with the transcripts from the PLRB hearings that were held on the petition filed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) to unionize Penn State graduate students. Because statements have been taken out of context regarding the University’s position and witness testimony from the hearings, the University is making the full transcripts available on gradfacts.psu.edu/hearings so that graduate students and others who are interested can review the testimony in full.
Seven days of hearings concluded before a hearing examiner appointed by the PLRB on Wednesday, Sept. 13. More than 20 witnesses testified about graduate education at Penn State, including more than a dozen faculty members from across Penn State’s colleges, who testified that graduate students, including students who have their graduate education funded on assistantships, are engaged in teaching and research that are part of their degree programs. These witnesses expressed enthusiasm for mentoring graduate students as the next generation of scholars and researchers, and pride in graduate students’ accomplishments. Penn State believes that graduate students are here to seek advanced degrees as students, not employees.
Information about the unionization process under Pennsylvania law and FAQs for Penn State graduate students, faculty and staff are available at gradfacts.psu.edu.
Questions about the hearings or unionization process should be directed to [email protected].