Despite expressing empathy with unions in the past, University President Amy Gutmann is unlikely to pursue an agenda in line with that of Penn's graduate student organizers.
Since assuming the presidency, Gutmann has enthusiastically embraced the recent regional National Labor Relations Board decision that ruled that Penn's graduate-level teaching and research assistants are students and do not have the right to unionize under the umbrella protection of the NLRB. The decision reflected a similar national NLRB ruling concerning Brown University, which was handed down in July.
"I definitely agree with the decision, and I'm really delighted that it gives me the opportunity to work with our organized graduate student groups to make graduate education even stronger at Penn," Gutmann said.
While Penn has the option of voluntarily recognizing a graduate student union -- and in fact, some graduate students have pinned their hopes on the possibility -- Gutmann's administration is highly unlikely to make this move.
The president's acceptance of the perceived anti-labor ruling comes as a surprise to some who regard Gutmann as a "liberal" administrator. Her writings, including works that have reviewed unions positively, have indicated a liberal ideology.
In her book Democratic Education, Gutmann critically examines teachers' unions and concludes that there is a need for them in today's school system. Many assumed this opinion would translate into a favorable stance toward Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania when she took over the presidency at Penn.
In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian last February, then-GET-UP Co-Chairman David Faris said, "From what I hear of Dr. Gutmann's work, it seems like she would be receptive to our message and our goal."
However, members of the would-be union did not receive the friendly response they expected -- leaving some bitter about the new administrator.
"It must be pretty embarrassing for [Gutmann]. ... She talks about democratic education, and within two weeks of arriving, she is already giving all her support to a blatantly anti-democratic NLRB ruling," said Joe Drury, GET-UP co-chairman and an English Ph.D. candidate. He added that "it's a bit mystifying, and it's a conflict."
The graduate student organization has sent letters to Gutmann, but she has not yet set a concrete date for a meeting.
GET-UP leaders say group members do not plan on appealing the recent NLRB decision and are focused on working internally to have a union recognized.
However, many unionization debate onlookers do not think that Penn will recognize a graduate student union in the near future.
Penn Law professor Amy Wax called it "highly unlikely," and said that graduate students are "probably going to have to use the bargaining tools they already have" and not count on becoming unionized.
Other graduate student leaders at Penn are also critical of GET-UP's new focus on convincing Penn to voluntarily recognize a union.
Simi Wilhelm, chairwoman of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and a student in Penn's Graduate School of Education, said she believes GET-UP leaders misinterpreted Gutmann's academic works.
"What was talked about in [her writings on labor unions] and what [was] pursued at Penn are not the same thing," Wilhelm said.
She added that Gutmann's "support of a union in one context doesn't translate to another."
GAPSA has already met with Gutmann, and the group's leaders are enthusiastic about their dealings with the new president.
"She is very energetic, and she shows you that energy," Wilhelm said, adding that "[Gutmann] has a way of showing it and communicating it that is reassuring ... and exciting as a student leader." This article appeared as part of the "Amy Gutmann: Changing of the Guard" series.
