Low turnout complicates A-3 Assembly election

Only 22 of Penn's 2,200 support staff employees voted in this month's election. The results have not been released. The A-3 Assembly -- representing more than 2,200 University support staff and hourly wage employees -- held its annual board elections three weeks ago, but only 22 people voted. And while eight positions were open to new Executive Board members, only four people appeared on the ballot, according to A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler. Currently, six members serve on the board. The Executive Board is comprised of 20 members who serve two-year terms. Wheeler did not comment on why only eight positions -- instead of the 14 open slots -- were up for election. She said the eight open positions were intended to fill the slots vacated by outgoing board members at the end of last year. The low interest in the assembly comes at a time when the University is restructuring its student services, a move that may result in the elimination of many A-3 positions. The administration is also in the process of overhauling its benefits plan for all employees. The A-3 Assembly holds a seat on University Council and also participates in several of the committees involved in the restructuring of the University. But the assembly does not have any official power, except to advise the administration through those committees. According to Wheeler, results of the October 9 election have not yet been announced and will not be released until at least Thursday, when the Executive Board next meets. "We need to resolve issues prior to making the announcement," said Wheeler, an administrative assistant at the Center for Community Partnerships. A-3 employees interested in running for Executive Board positions were required to be nominated either by themselves or a fellow A-3 employee. Then they had to attend an October 2 meeting to state why they wanted to be on the board. Only two people went to the October 2 meeting, Wheeler said. Since the election, several A-3 members have expressed confusion regarding the nominations and elections process. According to School of Social Work administrative assistant Paul Lukasiak, not everyone who was nominated for a spot was on the ballot. When Lukasiak did not see names of the people he nominated on the ballot, he said, Wheeler told him that the A-3 elections committee did not receive the nominations on time. The deadline for nominations was September 27, according to A-3 Elections Committee Chairperson Yvonne zMcLean, a Wharton Real Estate Center administrative assistant. But Lukasiak said he was not informed of the deadline and was told by McLean after the October 2 meeting that he could still nominate other A-3 employees. While McLean said she did tell Lukasiak he could nominate others after the October 2 meeting, she added that she did not know about the deadline at the time. Former A-3 Executive Board member Gene Haldeman, who manages the A-3 homepage, said he did not receive any information about a nomination deadline to post on the site. "Normally, it would be there, but there hasn't been any action on [the homepage]," said Haldeman, an Undergraduate Admissions employee. One nominee whose name was not on the ballot said the confusion made her want not to be involved with the A-3 Assembly anymore. "You're kind of discouraged," the nominee said. "Who wants to go through that kind of aggravation to put your name on the ballot?"

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