Teamsters Ratify Penn State Contract Agreement

Members of the Teamsters Local 8 union have ratified their new contract with Penn State, the university announced Saturday. The contract, which was tentatively agreed to at the end of June, was ratified by a vote of 1,569 to 176 on Friday.

The new contract, which will serve around 2,500 service workers at Penn State, will replace the existing contract and run from July 1, 2024, until June 30, 2028. It promises a 20% raise for union members over the life of the contract.

“During the entire negotiation process, our members sent a very clear message to the university about obtaining a fair contract that provides significant wage increases. We are thankful to finalize a contract that does just that. Our members make this university run and we look forward to providing this service for the next four years under our new contract,” President Jon Light of Teamsters Local Union 8 said in a release .

In addition to the salary increases, the contract also offers no changes for healthcare while tweaking the assignment of work and schedules, holidays, sick leave, employee recognition and training, and the grievance process.

“We’re grateful to have concluded another successful negotiation with Teamsters Local 8 to reach a contract that offers a competitive salary and benefits package aligned with the market,” Penn State’s Vice President for Human Resources Jennifer Wilkes said. “Our technical service employees keep our campuses operating seamlessly, and we believe this contract compensates and recognizes them for their important work.”