BARGAINING
UPDATES

October 9, 2026

Key Takeaways

• We made it clear to the administration that the pace of bargaining has been too slow and that we want them to move faster going forward.

• We continued discussions about several key proposals that relate to job security, including Hours of Work, Work Effort Changes, and Layoff

On October 9, 2026, we began our bargaining session with a demand that the  administration's team accelerates the pace of bargaining. We've been negotiating our contract since January 13, 2025, and the administration has been unwilling to meet at the table more than once every two to three weeks. They make little effort to respond to our requests for information or to draft counterproposals in between sessions, and we're waiting for their responses to the majority of proposals that are currently under discussion. We've filed numerous Unfair Labor Practice charges against Pitt over their stalling and delays. Their tactics indicate that the administration would rather spend their money on lawyers from Ogletree Deakins (whose specialty is union-avoidance) than invest it in us. We know that the small, one-time payment the university offered us – instead of the raises we asked for – was extremely disappointing. Negotiating well-deserved, meaningful, and retroactive raises for bargaining unit staff remains a top priority for us.  Accelerating the pace of bargaining will allow us to get those raises faster.

              In the meantime, the administration did respond to some of our proposals that are focused on job security, allowing us to make some progress toward an agreement on work hours, including flexibility surrounding lunch breaks. Additionally, we reiterated our position on other topics. When staff are laid off or their work effort is reduced (for full-time staff, work effort = 100%), such as when grant funding is depleted and not renewed, we think that these decisions should be made fairly and objectively. Also, staff who are laid off or have their work hours reduced should be given real preference for being hired into open positions. We reminded the administration that re-hiring staff who are already familiar with the policies and procedures at Pitt would benefit the university as well, and we are hopeful that they will come around to our position on this soon. 

              Many of you have told us about the problems that you've faced while working at Pitt.  In every bargaining session, we bring reasonable solutions to the table for consideration by the administration. This university cannot function without us, and it's time for the administration to listen to us, invest in us, and stop stalling the contract negotiations.

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