BARGAINING
UPDATES

October 30, 2026

Today we presented Pitt with a comprehensive compensation proposal. Our proposal would:

• Immediately upon ratification raise wages for all Pitt staff retroactive to July 1, 2026

• Guarantee additional wage increases each year of the contract

• Create a new wage floor so no staff is paid less than $45,000/year or $23.08/hour – significantly raising wages for as many as 1 in 4 staff members currently making below those rates

• Create minimum wage rates based on both pay grade and seniority so staff are rewarded for your skill, experience and years of service

In addition, our proposal would protect your right to supplemental pay and individual merit-based, equity and retention bonuses.

We are thankful to all of the staff members who attended the bargaining session today to read their testimonials regarding our low compensation. It set the stage for us to present this compensation proposal.

In addition, we reached a Tentative Agreement on Hours of Work, and we continued discussions about Holidays and Winter Recess, and Work Effort Changes.

Voluntary Early Retirement Program – Timeline Extended

For those of you who have expressed concerns about the Voluntary Early Retirement Program (VERP) timeline, the administration told us that they will be extending their original  November 4th deadline. We sent them a counterproposal over a week ago and are awaiting their response. We are meeting with the administration on Tuesday to discuss the VERP, and we are highly motivated to reach an agreement on this as soon as possible.  We will keep you posted on any new developments as they happen.

USW Compensation Proposal – Additional Info

How much are the proposed raises?

It’s important to remember that negotiations are just that, negotiations. Our union made a proposal that we believe is fair, but where we end up will depend on how much pressure we can put on Pitt to move. We know they gave non-represented staff 2% raises for 2026. We don’t believe that’s acceptable. Their last offer to the faculty was even worse. That said, we want to give the university a chance to review our proposal thoughtfully, and we are hopeful they recognize your significant contributions to the university’s success, and the fact that the staff deserve significant wage increases now.

In most negotiations we don’t make our initial economic proposals public. It helps our Bargaining Committee to remain nimble as there are many factors that impact negotiations.

We eagerly await the university’s response to our proposal and will keep everyone updated once we hear back from them.

Will I still be able to get an individual merit-base raise?

Yes! The union’s proposal protects your ability to earn equity, retention, and merit-based raises on an individual basis above the minimums set in our proposal.

Can I still earn supplemental pay?

Yes! Under our proposal, staff will still be eligible for supplemental pay. In fact, our proposal would expand the criteria for which staff would be eligible for supplemental pay. We believe that if you are temporarily assigned responsibilities outside of your normal job, even if you volunteer for it, you should be compensated for that time and that work.

If I’m earning under $45,000/year or $23.08/hour will I be eligible for raises over that?

Under our proposal, anyone earning under $45,000/year or $23.08/hour would be brought up to at least $45,000/$23.08 in the first year and then continue to earn the proposed annual and seniority-based raises in the following years.

What if I'm grant funded?

The University has an obligation to pay people the agreed upon wages regardless of funding sources.

When will I get my raise?

We proposed wage raises that would take effect upon ratification of the contract and be retroactive to July 1, 2026. Bargaining for retroactive raises is common in negotiations like these.

What do seniority-based raises mean?

It means that the university agrees to a system where at certain milestones in your career you automatically get a raise. For instance, if we agree that there are raises after three years, that means that when you reach three years of service, you would automatically receive your seniority-based raise. These seniority-based raises would be an addition to the annual raises we’re negotiating for each July.

How is seniority calculated? What if I was laid off and then rehired?

In the Tentative Agreement (TA) we won on seniority it calculates your seniority based on the original date of hir, or in the case of employees involuntarily transferred from UPMC, their original date of hire at UPMC. Seniority excludes service as a casual employee, student worker, temporary employee, graduate student employee, part-time faculty, or other non-employee. If a temporary employee is hired into a bargaining unit position, management may elect to credit the employee with seniority from their original date of hire as a temporary employee.

Additionally, we won language protecting seniority rights for any employee discharged between October 7, 2024 and the effective date of the contract if that person has been re-employed within one year. In that case, their seniority will be calculated without reference to the discharge.

What about our benefits?

Our goal is to protect the benefits you currently enjoy by making sure they are included in your contract. That way the university can’t just cut your benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs anytime they want. Our focus on October 30 was on compensation. We will get to the benefits as soon as possible and keep you updated about those negotiations when they commence.

How does this impact promotions and transfers?

Our career advancement proposal addresses the provisional period associated with promotions and transfers. Our goal is to make it easier for staff to seek transfers and accept promotions without the fear of retaliation or termination if a new role doesn’t work out for any reason. It’s in the best interest of staff and the university to create opportunities for talented staff to take promotions and transfer to roles where they believe they can be more effective. We don’t believe it’s fair, or effective for the university’s operations, to put staff fully back on probation with the possibility of termination when they make these moves. Our compensation proposal would not impact your ability to make these moves, but our career advancement proposals are critical to protecting your ability to advance throughout the university.

How will this impact my ability to move up in job grades if my duties and responsibilities change?

Staff will still be eligible to move up in job grades. Supervisors will be allowed to move staff up in job grades in accordance with assigned roles and responsibilities.

Why is this taking so long????

Pitt is following the same pattern they have with the faculty and grads. They’re giving each unit two days a month to meet. It’s simply not enough. We have been engaging with elected officials, alumni, and other stakeholders to press the university to move faster. But we need your help! Join us for upcoming actions and activities that will help show Pitt were united and willing to fight for a FAIR CONTRACT NOW!

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