Analysis: Comparing Pitt’s current Ballard Spahr spending with pre-unionization
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
January 21, 2020
Since the graduate and faculty union campaigns launched in 2016, Pitt has paid more than $1.3 million to “union avoidance” legal giant Ballard Spahr — an average of $328,000 per year.
Pitt’s bill for ‘union avoidance’ law firm passes $1 million
By Jon Moss, News Editor
January 12, 2020
A “union avoidance” law firm continues to receive a large windfall of legal fees from Pitt, recently passing $1 million, according to University financial disclosure reports.
Faculty union organizers earn second chance to prompt union election
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
December 6, 2019
After a round of hearings this week meant to finalize the size of Pitt’s faculty union bargaining unit, organizers will get another chance to prove they have enough interest to prompt a union election — in four months. The PLRB hearing examiner plans to rule on the final size of the bargainin...
Pitt removes administrators, retirees from faculty union eligibility
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
December 3, 2019
Faculty union organizers have argued since June that Pitt deliberately inflated its list of 4,018 union-eligible faculty with hundreds of retirees and administrators in order to derail unionization efforts.
Part 3 | Faculty union organizers’ next steps
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
October 17, 2019
Forming a faculty union at a Pennsylvania university actually isn’t too complicated — in theory.
Part 2 | A look at the back-and-forth between Pitt, faculty union organizers
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
October 17, 2019
An “inflated” union eligibility list dilutes the significance of each authorization card, making it harder for union organizers to collect cards from the 30% of faculty needed to prompt a union election.
Part 1 | Who did Pitt include on its list of union-eligible faculty?
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
October 15, 2019
Pitt included more than 100 administrators, graduate students and retired professors on the list of faculty eligible for a union.
Series | Pitt included retirees, administrators in faculty union bargaining unit
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
October 15, 2019
Faculty union organizers called the move “disgusting and obvious union busting.” Pitt chalked it up to poor communication.
Pittsburgh’s Labor Day legacy continues to evolve
By Maureen Hartwell, Staff Writer
September 2, 2019
For the past 37 years, Pittsburgh has hosted the largest Labor Day parade in the United States — Monday’s parade drew an estimated 50,000 marchers Downtown.
Faculty union organizers up in arms after Pitt’s administration rejects Labor Board subpoena
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
July 19, 2019
After ruling June 18 that the size of the bargaining unit for Pitt’s faculty union was under review, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ordered Pitt to turn over several pieces of information to faculty union organizers — most notably, a list of faculty eligible to be in the potential bargaining unit.