Bargaining Committee

Celia (CJ) Gust, Law, University Park

I’m CJ Gust, a third year law student at University Park and a teaching assistant for the master of laws onboarding course, pursuing a career as a union-side labor attorney. To that end, I have clerked for the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board and another international union, so I have experience researching for bargaining purposes and responding to unfair labor practices. Most importantly, I have been organizing with CGE-UAW for the past two years, from getting cards signed to the fight to hold our election and finally getting out the vote for our resounding election victory. I’m interested in serving on the bargaining committee because our issues as grad workers — wages, healthcare, international student support, and grievance procedures — are widespread and varying but ultimately unifying. As we head to the bargaining table, we will demonstrate once again what we proved with the election, that we can win anything we fight for together.

Sangjun Ko, Mathematics, Eberly College of Science, University Park

Hi! I’m Sangjun, and I’m a 4th year teaching assistant in the math department. I can be seen waddling around campus in a duck hat. In the past year or so, I have helped organize my fellow grad workers in not just math, but in the Eberly College of Science to gather support for the union and turn out for the election. The bargaining committee ought to have at least one member to represent the needs of teaching assistants in the Eberly College of Science. The math department—and by extension, the majority of grad workers in it—has the most teaching in Eberly. I believe I would be suited to that role, and I hope to have your consideration to be in the bargaining committee.

Christine Bowlus, Kinesiology, Health and Human Development, University Park

I’m a PhD candidate in the Kinesiology department and have worked as a teaching and research assistant. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue fighting for better working conditions for all of us. We are highly qualified and motivated employees, and the work we do as administrative, teaching, and research assistants brings so much value to Penn State. We deserve equitable pay, longer contracts, better visa support, protections from harassment, and more. I would be proud to work as part of the bargaining committee to make this a reality for all current and future Penn State graduate workers. 

Chris Pallés, Biomedical Sciences (Cell and Biological Systems), College of Medicine, Hershey

I am a first-year Biomedical Sciences PhD student in the Cell/Biological Systems Department at the College of Medicine (Hershey). I have been on campus in multiple capacities for a couple of years, which was how and when I first learned about unionization efforts and began contributing. Once I began my PhD program, I took on more responsibilities and helped strengthen the movement at the COM campus. I have heard the struggles of fellow coworkers since 2023, but I still have almost 4 years to go for my degree program. As a result, I feel my experience gave me lots of insight about priorities and needs, though I can also take advantage of the many years I have left to serve fellow graduate workers. Through my own experiences and hearing about the experiences of students across multiple programs and colleges at Penn State, I have only been further convinced of the necessity for good representation and having our voices heard by the people in charge. Even before I formally joined unionization efforts, I spoke with administration and state government representatives about our fight for respect and fair treatment. I believe these connections and skills will help me to portray us all as the mature, responsible adults we are and can provide us with additional support as we negotiate with Penn State moving forward. Whether I am part of the Bargaining Committee or not, I look forward to a brighter future together.

Daniel Oni, Philosophy, College of Liberal Arts, University Park

I am a fourth year graduate worker in the philosophy department. I’ve been organizing with CGE since around fall 2024. I am also an international student. I am running for the bargaining committee to work towards the best possible contract we can win. As graduate workers, our contributions are the grounds that allow Penn State to hold on to their research status and mission. Our contracts should reflect this. Instead we constantly face financial pressures while still being expected to work as though under normal conditions. Beyond monetary concerns, I also hope to advocate for stipulations towards a more representative and democratic workplace. Far too often, we are left at the whims of advisors and administrators. A more democratic workplace is even more important for the rights of international graduate workers, an issue I will, if elected, passionately advocate for on the committee. I am looking forward to winning a contract that improves our security- financial and otherwise. 

Eugene Henninger-Voss, Mathematics, Eberly College of Science, University Park

My name is Eugene Henninger-Voss, and I’m running for bargaining committee. 

I grew up near Harrisburg, PA, surrounded by unions.  My father worked for a union, and my first job out of high school was working for a think tank funded by unions. After an undergraduate in Math with minors in German and Linguistics, I returned to the think tank and became their data analysts, specializing in state funding PA’s k-12 schools.   I made a model of taxes and school funding that was used by analysts, lobbyists, lawyers, and congresspeople in the law suit to force PA to fairly fund its school districts (which we won), working with members of the teacher’s union.

I have been at Penn State for four years in the math PhD program.  I am running for the bargaining committee to represent the unique experiences of TAs in math.  In contrast to other TAs, we are the de-facto sole instructors of the courses we teach.  From our second semester in the program, we are expected to teach as much as research faculty do.  Yet, we receive no official recognition our duties are different than other TAs.

 Math is not the only department for where grad students are full instructors and it is important that someone with such an experience is on the bargaining committee because officially Penn State denies it exists.

I want to use my experience with data analysis and bargaining to represent full instructors and win the best contract for all PSU grad workers.

Gonca Acaray, Learning and Performance Systems- Lifelong Learning and Adult Education, College, of Education, University Park

I am a third-year Ph.D. student in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education in the College of Education and a Research Assistant at Penn State Center Philadelphia. I also hold an MPS in Labor and Global Workers’ Rights from Penn State. I am an international student with prior experience working for a union in my home country and have been involved with the CGE since Spring 2024.

I am excited about the opportunity to serve on the bargaining committee because our first contract is a chance to articulate clearly what graduate workers need to live, work, and learn with dignity. Across departments and job roles, graduate workers carry out essential teaching, research, and service that make the university function. Bargaining is an opportunity to make that labor visible and secure conditions that reflect its value.

A strong contract should address the priorities workers have been raising: guaranteed and stable funding, fair compensation, clearer workload expectations, protection from overwork and harassment, meaningful support for international students, and reliable structures for resolving problems without fear of retaliation.

I am committed to supporting a democratic, transparent process that centers these shared needs. Our strength comes from solidarity — from listening to one another and acting collectively. I look forward to contributing to a bargaining process that reflects those commitments and results in a contract worthy of the work we do.

Tahir Haideri, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering, University Park

I initially began organizing with my fellow graduate workers, to establish our union at Penn State, during the union authorization card drive last year (2024). During my time organizing as part of CGE-UAW and as a leader in my department and college, I’ve learned many essential skills that I believe will benefit our union as we enter this next stage of our campaign to negotiate our first contract! These include being able to have effective conversations with coworkers on the issues that they face and mobilizing them into collective action to address those issues. I have also helped plan many of the events for our campaign including update meetings, town halls, and several rallies – many of which I’ve spoken at publicly. Additionally, I’ve also played a part in the broader communication and political strategy of our campaign by authoring several opinion pieces and mobilizing political support from elected officials in Harrisburg by soliciting signatures on letters to the administration. As an international student at this university, I have also consistently tried to advocate for international student interests. Specially during the current federal administration, when many of my international colleagues seemed particularly hesitant to advocate for themselves publicly. I hope to continue to build the confidence of the international graduate community here at Penn State, in order to fully realize the rights we have in this country and to negotiate a contract that provides us the safety and security that we are entitled to as essential employees of this institution. 

Jess Rafalko, English, College of Liberal Arts, University Park

I’ve been part of CGE since my very first week at Penn State in fall 2020 and was a member of the steering committee that recommended affiliating with UAW in summer 2022. As an organizer for the past three years, I’ve had the chance to speak to grad workers from virtually every college and department about the work they do at Penn State—what they love about their jobs, what they want to see improved, and how we can achieve that vision through collective action. I’ve also represented our interests as grad workers publicly to a variety of audiences both within and beyond Penn State: I’ve lobbied state lawmakers to support the union effort, spoken at union rallies to foster worker solidarity, and written op-eds to pressure Penn State to acknowledge worker demands. I know what it takes to fight Penn State and win. It has been a joy and a privilege organizing alongside so many other grad workers these past five years to get us to this exciting moment of bargaining for our first contact. As a member of the CGE-UAW bargaining committee, I will continue to advocate for every grad worker and negotiate a first contract that ensures a better—more secure, supportive, and democratic—workplace for us all.

Kierstyn Higgins, Ecosystem Science and Management, College of Agriculture, University Park

I am a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Interdepartmental Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. I am serving on the CGE-UAW bargaining committee because I see the value that graduate workers bring to Penn State, and I believe that we should be appropriately compensated and protected by the university. 

As graduate workers, we balance significant teaching, research, and service responsibilities, yet many of us still struggle with issues like food insecurity, severe medical debt, fear of unjust deportation, fear of retaliation, and much more. As a member of the bargaining committee, my primary goal is to be a voice for the needs of my fellow graduate employees and advocate for a fair contract comparable to existing graduate union contracts across the nation.

One of my primary concerns is ensuring that all graduate employees are paid a livable wage with cost-of-living adjustments, regardless of department, program, or position. It is important that our wages keep pace with inflation so that we can do our jobs to the best of our ability.

I am also committed to securing stronger protections for international workers. Visa restrictions and financial vulnerability place international workers at a greater risk for well-being concerns, and I believe we can negotiate a contract that ensures the university does everything they can to protect their workers.

Ultimately, my priority as a bargaining member is to fight for a contract representative of the needs of all Penn State graduate workers.

Lucas Brefka, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Eberly College of Science, University Park

I am currently a fourth-year graduate worker pursuing a PhD in exoplanet science, and with that PhD I hope to eventually land a job in academia where I can continue to foster a love of science in the world. I got my undergraduate degree in astronomy from the University of Michigan, where I also did a few different research projects (all dealing with exoplanets of course). Before college I was raised by working-class parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who I credit with teaching me all about working hard and giving all the effort I could to things I was passionate about.

I would like to serve on the bargaining committee because I am not satisfied with entrusting the well-being of my coworkers to an entity like Penn State administration, who could, at a whim, take away benefits or increase costs to save their bottom line. I also hope to do my part in codifying our rights as graduate workers, ensuring that folks in all departments, on all campuses, are treated fairly and taken seriously. 

Madeline (Maddy) Jupina, Communication Arts & Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, University Park

I’m Maddy–I’m a PhD student in Communication Arts & Sciences, and I’ve served as both a TA and an RA during my time at Penn State. I believe that grad workers do essential work that makes Penn State the prestigious R1 university that it is. However, our efforts aren’t always met with adequate pay, benefits, or workplace protections. I’m especially looking forward to securing annual stipend increases that keep up with rising rent prices and the high cost of living in State College. When grads work together, we win, and I’m excited to keep doing the work to help secure a first contract for all grads at Penn State! 

Meera Ray, Computer Science and Engineering, Engineering, University Park

Hi! I’m Meera, a PhD candidate and research assistant in Computer Science and Engineering. For the past year, I’ve been involved in organizing us grad workers to have a voice in the terms of our work. I want to serve on the bargaining committee to help ensure all grad workers — including grads in engineering and those with chronic illnesses like me — can work on the research we’re passionate about and get our fair due as grad workers at Penn State.