BARGAINING
UPDATES

August 20, 2025

Key Takeaways

• The administration rejected our proposal for immediate 12.5% raises, but reiterated that they will bargain over compensation

• We continued negotiations about Provisional Periods, Flexible Work Agreements and Technology

• We presented another counterproposal on Health and Safety and a new proposal to address Workplace Violence

In our bargaining session on August 20, 2025, the administration told us that they were rejecting our proposal asking for immediate 12.5% raises. While we're angry that they don't share our view that unionized staff deserve raises NOW, we will continue to fight for better compensation overall, including raises. Negotiations will continue until we reach an agreement that we think will earn your YES vote when it's time to ratify the contract.

The administration also told us that unionized staff will NOT be permitted to use the new Recreation and Wellness Center on the Pittsburgh campus until we can negotiate fees as part of our contract.  There are now ZERO fitness facilities at the Pittsburgh campus that staff can use without paying a fee, which we think demonstrates a lack of commitment to employee wellness.

We were waiting to hear responses to eleven proposals that we've given the administration, including some that we presented several months ago.  We only got three responses, but they led to productive discussions that got us closer to an agreement on Provisional Periods and Flexible Work Agreements.

We presented a new proposal that outlines a zero tolerance policy for Workplace Violence, and includes protection from retaliation when reporting incidents, and annual review of incidents by a labor-management committee to determine best practices for preventing workplace violence. It also includes a plan for supporting workers who are affected by workplace violence.

For anyone who is interested, the Union of Pitt Faculty has organized a workshop with Higher Ed Labor United (HELU) that will be focused on understanding the PA state budget process and how it impacts higher ed jobs. The workshop will take place on September 5, from 9 am to noon. We have been invited to attend, along with members of higher education unions from across western PA. Please use this link to rsvp so that the organizers know how many attendees to expect. As a reminder, if you would like to be able to vote on the final contract when it's ready, it is imperative that you sign your membership card beforehand. We began collecting membership cards in March of this year, so if you signed something before that, it was not a membership card! No dues will be paid until our contract is ratified, so show your support now, and sign your card today. 

In solidarity,

Your Pitt Staff Bargaining Committee

Jen Goeckeler-Fried, Chair, Biological Sciences, DSAS
Kearsten Adams, Recording Secretary, Academic Advising, UPG
Shawn Alfonso Wells, Pitt Global Experiences, UCIS
Lydia Chmill, Disability Resources & Services, OTC
Emily Daller, University Child Development Center, OHR
Jay Hornack, Law
Todd Shaffer, Office of Student Life, UPJ
Michelle Utz-Kiley, Epidemiology, SPH
Dan Wyszomierski, UPCI/NSABP
Matt Nader, USW
Nate Kilbert, USW
Don Shaffer, USW
Bernie Hall, District 10 Director, USW