BARGAINING
UPDATES

March 20, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Discussions continued regarding Flexible Work Arrangements and we are close to reaching an agreement.

• We received disappointing responses to our International Staff proposal and MOU.

• We presented two NEW proposals: Intellectual Property, and Holidays and Winter Recess

Your bargaining committee met with the administration on March 20, 2026.  Conversations about Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) were productive, and we made substantial progress toward reaching an agreement. Only one sticking point remains; the administration was willing to make a verbal commitment to administering FWAs in good faith, yet they refused to include that phrase in their written proposal. We believe that our members deserve to have that good faith assurance in writing.

In discussions about our International Staff proposal and MOU, the administration claimed to be willing to commit to providing a safe, inclusive, and equitable work environment for all bargaining unit employees, regardless of immigration or citizenship status to the extent permitted by law. However, they failed to back this up by agreeing to any of the specific personal or job protections that we proposed, and proposed none of their own. When we asked them if they would refuse to let outside law enforcement agencies into private spaces on campus without a judicial warrant, they were completely silent. We told them that we assumed that their silence meant they would not require a real warrant before letting immigration officers into private spaces on campus; they remained silent. Until they say otherwise, we can only assume that the administration will allow warrantless searches to occur on campus at the expense of our safety and students’ safety.

The development of new intellectual property can be an important part of bargaining unit employees’ work. Our new Intellectual Property proposal hopes to incorporate Pitt’s current policy RI 10 into our collective bargaining agreement, with a few changes to make its protections enforceable for staff.

Finally, we are happy to tell you that we presented a new proposal that will, if accepted, ensure that bargaining unit staff continue to receive the paid holidays that are currently offered at Pitt, as well as our traditional paid time off for winter recess. Additionally, it outlines a procedure for compensation for exempt and non-exempt staff who are required to work on holidays or during winter recess. We hope to have fruitful conversations about both of these new proposals with the administration soon.

In other news, our spring service project is happening this Thursday! We’re partnering with Community Human Services to support the Oakland food pantry. You can donate or join in person – the link to sign up is here: https://forms.gle/kviHiKYpRptoiNcN6

In solidarity,

Your bargaining committee
Jen Goeckeler-Fried, Chair, Biological Sciences, DSAS
Kearsten Adams, Recording Secretary, Academic Advising, UPG
Shawn Alfonso Wells, Pitt Global Experiences, UCIS
Mark Brown, DLAR
Lydia Chmill, Disability Resources & Services, OTC
Emily Daller, University Child Development Center, OHR
Jay Hornack, Law
Adriana Maguiña-Ugarte, Anthropology
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