For graduate students looking to unionize, a long-awaited discussion with University President Judith Rodin about graduate student unionization may soon occur.
About 80 members and supporters of Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania rallied in front of the Penn Bookstore Saturday to protest the University administration's continual refusal to drop the appeal that is keeping the votes for graduate student unionization impounded.
The protest took place at 2 p.m., coinciding with Rodin's discussion and signing of Public Discourse in America: Conversations and Community in the Twenty-First Century, which she co-edited with Executive Director of the Penn National Commission on Society, Culture and Community Stephen Steinberg.
"The book talks about civil rights," GET-UP Co-Chairman Joseph Cytrynbaum said. "Given this is what her book is about... we want to point out that this is what we are about, too."
Cathy Barlow -- a recently graduated master's student from the College of General Studies -- voiced many of GET-UP's concerns about Rodin's tight-lipped attitude toward graduate students about unionization.
"It goes against everything she said in the book," Barlow said. Graduate students "are the very community spoken about in the book."
And in response to her remarks, Rodin verbally agreed to discuss the situation for the first time.
"We are surprised and happy about that particular outcome," GET-UP spokesman Dillon Brown said. "This newfound willingness to talk is keeping with the message of her book."
The organization is now planning to write a letter formally requesting a meeting with Rodin.
In February, in a process overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, a group of University-employed graduate students were allowed to vote on whether they wanted to form a union. The election's results will not be tabulated unless the University's current appeal is overturned or Penn decides to drop it altogether.
"I am concerned that the legal appeal is closing the possibility for public discourse," GET-UP member and third-year English graduate student Jonathan Hsy said.
These feelings were shared by most protesters, many of whom found Rodin's discussion "a little hypocritical," GET-UP Mass Action Committee Chairwoman Katie Paugh said.
Many GET-UP members felt that the topic of Rodin's book "blatantly contradicts her attitude toward us," third-year history graduate student Sarah Van Beurden said. "To see her as a champion for public discourse on campus bothers me."
GET-UP said the choice of time and place for their information picketing was not a casual one.
"It seemed the perfect opportunity to have our voices heard," Paugh said. "I agree with what Judith Rodin has to say, but I don't think her actions concord with her writings. We will ask her to address this disjuncture."
GET-UP also said they aimed to raise awareness of Penn parents during Family Weekend, and while some parents said the protest was not appropriate for the occasion, GET-UP members distributing flyers in front of the bookstore said that many stopped to ask for information.
Inside the bookstore, Rodin focused on "the degradation of public engagement," mostly due to the negative effects of mass media.
"The purpose of discourse is to hear what the other side has to say," she concluded.
Steinberg said that a community is formed through the coming together of a group of people for the completion of a task.
At the end of the presentation, the question-and-answer session was substituted with individual chats during the book signing.
"Apparently, she didn't want to talk to us," said GET-UP member and third-year music graduate student Jennifer Saltzstein, who was present at the event.
