Close to 300 members of Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania voted last night in an 83 percent majority to strike this Thursday and Friday.
The closed-door session was held yesterday evening at 6 p.m. in Houston Hall. Membership was checked at the door by organizers, and booths were set up to allow last-minute registration with GET-UP in order to take part in the vote.
The majority of members in attendance entered with the certainty that they would vote in favor of the strike.
"Yes, I plan on voting for the strike tonight," said Emily Pawley, a second-year doctoral candidate in the School of Arts and Sciences. "I do think it will pass. I think a strike is really the next step. We've tried other tactics to have our voice be heard by the administration, but they've garnered no reaction from the administration."
A minority of members -- like John Laury, a second-year Linguistics Ph.D. candidate -- showed up to the meeting still undecided on which way to vote.
"I'm marginally in favor," Laury said before the meeting. "I haven't been involved with GET-UP for too long. I'm here because we all have a stake in this matter. I want to hear what other people have to say because I am still undecided."
The hourlong meeting began with member Joe Kable verifying the 50 percent member attendance necessary to meet quorum, followed by an organization report by Michael Janson, chairman of the GET-UP Anniversary Committee. GET-UP Chairman David Faris then proposed the motion to strike, and the floor was opened to debate.
The half-hour debate ended with a two-thirds vote to close the floor, followed by the actual vote that was conducted by anonymous paper ballots.
The votes were tabulated by the members of the Jewish Labor Council and the American Friends Service Committee, who were in attendance as unbiased parties.
Following the tabulation, Faris announced to a round of applause that with a majority in favor, a strike would go on as planned this week.
Though prepared, University officials were not pleased with last night's decision.
"This is an unfortunate situation for the entire Penn community," University spokeswoman Lori Doyle said. "But especially for the undergraduates. The University will be open as usual and classes will be held. We will do everything possible to ensure that undergraduates and others can move safely around campus and attend classes as usual."
During GET-UP's meeting, questions were raised on whether the undergraduates would be prevented from crossing picket lines on their way to class.
GET-UP members said they will encourage undergraduates to attend classes taught by faculty and adjuncts, but not those taught by graduate students.
"It's important that people are aware that this is not an academic strike, merely a withdraw of" teaching assistant labor, said Joe Drury, the mass action chairman for GET-UP. "We are not asking faculty not to teach or students not to attend class. We are not trying to intimidate or prevent academic interests."
GET-UP spokesman Dillon Brown said that a minimum of 400 graduate students will be out on the picket line this Thursday and Friday.
Picketing will take place at the main arteries of campus. Picketers will be in groups of roughly 20, and supporters have signed up for allotted shifts to picket, although the exact locations have yet to be determined.
Laury said that he ultimately ended up voting for the strike.
"Before, I was very worried about the University's reaction to a strike," he said. "I was worried about turning off faculty and students, but hearing what the strike's intentions were in the meeting made me more assured that it was right."
Members of the graduate student group will strike on the one-year anniversary of a vote held on unionization. The votes have not been counted and have been impounded due to an appeal made by the University to the National Labor Relations Board.
