The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The Pitt faculty union organizers will have another chance to prove interest in a union election in four months.

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...

Pitt removes administrators, retirees from faculty union eligibility

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.
Paul Johnson, a faculty union organizer and Pitt communications professor, gives information about the union’s progress to about 50 people in the William Pitt Union Ballroom in January 2018.

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.
University of Pittsburgh faculty unionizers at the People’s Pride parade in June 2018.

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.
Faculty union organizers challenged hundreds of the names Pitt included in its list of faculty eligible for a bargaining unit.

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.
Tyler Bickford, a professor in the English department, drops one of the first union cards at a kick-off event held by Pitt faculty union organizers in the William Pitt Union Ballroom in January 2018.

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.
Carnegie Library workers voted on August 25 to form a union.

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 challenged hundreds of the names Pitt included in its list of faculty eligible for a bargaining unit.

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.
Faculty union organizers challenged hundreds of the names Pitt included in its list of faculty eligible for a bargaining unit.

PLRB orders hearing on faculty union complaint

By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer • June 18, 2019
Faculty union organizers faced a major setback when the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled in April they failed to collect enough signed authorization cards to prompt a union election.
University of Pittsburgh faculty unionizers at the People’s Pride parade in June 2018.

Faculty union organizers appeal PLRB decision

By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer • April 25, 2019
A years-long effort to unionize more than 3,500 Pitt faculty appeared to have failed last Wednesday when the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, or PLRB, ruled that organizers failed to collect enough signed authorization cards from eligible faculty to prompt a union election.
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