Op-Ed | A staff union will safeguard Pitt’s vital work

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 kind of mission represents the best of Pitt. And now, thousands of staff members like me are unionizing to ensure we have the resources needed to continue our vital work and safeguard Pitt’s culture of excellence.

Our drive to join the United Steelworkers enjoys huge support in the School of Medicine, where I’m based, and in Pitt’s numerous other departments, institutes and schools.

And nearly a year after advisors, counselors, designers, researchers, scientists, administrative assistants and many others filed for a union election, the administration just recently provided the list of workers needed to hold the vote.

This is an exciting moment 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 and staff members at Syracuse University voted to unionize while researchers at Oregon Health & Science University advanced their own union drive.

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 are 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. 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 first-years 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.

My co-workers and I know that unionizing will empower us to deliver even more for our students, communities and the institution we love. A staff union will lift all of Pitt.

Leah McKown joined the Pitt staff in November 2019.