UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The membership of Teamsters Local 8 has ratified a new four-year contract with Penn State that sets terms and conditions of employment and provides salary increases for the University’s approximately 2,500 technical service employees working at Penn State locations across the commonwealth.
The contract, which is retroactive to July 1 and runs through June 30, 2028, was officially ratified by Local 8 union members on July 26 by a vote of 1,569 to 176. The contract includes salary increases for employees represented by the union, totaling about a 20% salary increase over the four-year term of the contract — similar to other recent agreements reached in the last year or so with state employees in the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 13 union.
“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,” said Jennifer Wilkes, Penn State’s vice president for Human Resources. “Our technical service employees keep our campuses operating seamlessly, and we believe this contract compensates and recognizes them for their important work.”
In addition to defined salary increases, the contract also provides no plan changes for healthcare while only increasing the cost modestly as well as changes to the assignment of work and schedules, holidays, sick leave, employee recognition and training, and the grievance process.
“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,” said President Jon Light of Teamsters Local Union 8.
Since 1968, Local 8 members have served the University in areas including Auxiliary and Business Services, Office of Physical Plant, and Intercollegiate Athletics. The average job tenure of a union member working at the University is 11 years, with the average years of service at retirement being 25 years.