Let Pitt Staff Vote
By Leah McKown
My new job as a project manager in the Department of Surgery puts me right where I want to be—on the front lines of efforts to transform medical care and save lives.
As I step into this role, I am learning how to coordinate logistics for a national, multi-site research network that works to improve the outcomes of those experiencing severe blood loss and other traumatic injuries.
This is vital work. Sadly, the University administration continues to stand in the way as thousands of staff members like me seek to join a union to gain a voice on the job and to continue building Pitt’s culture of excellence.
Our drive to join the United Steelworkers (USW) enjoys huge support in the School of Medicine, where I’m based, and in Pitt’s numerous other departments, institutes, and schools.
But nearly a year after advisors, counselors, designers, researchers, scientists, administrative assistants, and many others filed for an election to join the USW, the administration still drags its feet on providing the list of workers needed to hold the vote.
This is a slap in the face to my colleagues. But it’s also deeply disappointing because we see union membership as a path forward for the entire University community.
Staff and faculty at universities across the nation are organizing in record numbers right now for the same reason. Within the past couple of months alone, residents at West Michigan University School of Medicine voted to unionize while staff members at Oregon Health & Science University and Syracuse University advanced their own union drives.
My co-workers and I are seeking USW membership not only to achieve fair wages but also to improve safety and win a seat at the table on pivotal issues that affect all of us.
We’re fighting for fairness in promotion and advancement. And we seek a level of transparency and consistency around work rules that will match the scrupulous precision that scientists, researchers, and lab technicians bring to Pitt’s groundbreaking research projects.
These improvements will ensure that Pitt continues to attract top talent, empower staff members, and provide the educational and research infrastructure essential to live up to our name.
While many staff members work behind the scenes, we also have an invaluable and highly visible impact on students, faculty, and community members. What we do impacts not only the University, but our entire region.
Before my current role, I worked as a community engagement coordinator in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). At CTSI, I had the distinct honor of introducing community members to the University’s health research and had the opportunity to work with investigators to create projects with the potential to deliver meaningful change and value to our neighbors.
Some of my co-workers perform cutting-edge bench research, manage labs, or coordinate the daily operations of key programs. Other staff members help incoming freshmen secure crucial financial aid packages or provide counseling to students trying to find their way.
Still others support faculty, program directors, or University leaders, often serving as the first point of contact for students and the University’s external partners.
In countless other ways, staff members keep the University running smoothly every day.
It’s important for the administration to understand that my colleagues and I remain united both in our commitment to building an ever-more-effective University and in forming a union to help us achieve that goal.
Stalling the union vote isn’t just unfair to my co-workers and me. It hurts everyone at Pitt.
Leah McKown joined the Pitt staff in November 2019.
As I step into this role, I am learning how to coordinate logistics for a national, multi-site research network that works to improve the outcomes of those experiencing severe blood loss and other traumatic injuries.
This is vital work. Sadly, the University administration continues to stand in the way as thousands of staff members like me seek to join a union to gain a voice on the job and to continue building Pitt’s culture of excellence.
Our drive to join the United Steelworkers (USW) enjoys huge support in the School of Medicine, where I’m based, and in Pitt’s numerous other departments, institutes, and schools.
But nearly a year after advisors, counselors, designers, researchers, scientists, administrative assistants, and many others filed for an election to join the USW, the administration still drags its feet on providing the list of workers needed to hold the vote.
This is a slap in the face to my colleagues. But it’s also deeply disappointing because we see union membership as a path forward for the entire University community.
Staff and faculty at universities across the nation are organizing in record numbers right now for the same reason. Within the past couple of months alone, residents at West Michigan University School of Medicine voted to unionize while staff members at Oregon Health & Science University and Syracuse University advanced their own union drives.
My co-workers and I are seeking USW membership not only to achieve fair wages but also to improve safety and win a seat at the table on pivotal issues that affect all of us.
We’re fighting for fairness in promotion and advancement. And we seek a level of transparency and consistency around work rules that will match the scrupulous precision that scientists, researchers, and lab technicians bring to Pitt’s groundbreaking research projects.
These improvements will ensure that Pitt continues to attract top talent, empower staff members, and provide the educational and research infrastructure essential to live up to our name.
While many staff members work behind the scenes, we also have an invaluable and highly visible impact on students, faculty, and community members. What we do impacts not only the University, but our entire region.
Before my current role, I worked as a community engagement coordinator in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). At CTSI, I had the distinct honor of introducing community members to the University’s health research and had the opportunity to work with investigators to create projects with the potential to deliver meaningful change and value to our neighbors.
Some of my co-workers perform cutting-edge bench research, manage labs, or coordinate the daily operations of key programs. Other staff members help incoming freshmen secure crucial financial aid packages or provide counseling to students trying to find their way.
Still others support faculty, program directors, or University leaders, often serving as the first point of contact for students and the University’s external partners.
In countless other ways, staff members keep the University running smoothly every day.
It’s important for the administration to understand that my colleagues and I remain united both in our commitment to building an ever-more-effective University and in forming a union to help us achieve that goal.
Stalling the union vote isn’t just unfair to my co-workers and me. It hurts everyone at Pitt.
Leah McKown joined the Pitt staff in November 2019.