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The faculty of the University of Pittsburgh have voted to unionize, and all professors and librarians across the school’s five campuses will now be protected by a bargaining unit affiliated with United Steelworkers.
Inside Higher Ed reports that, upon certification, the new union will be the largest formed in higher education in the last ten years. The measure will affect more than 3,300 faculty members across all of Pitt’s schools and campuses, aside from the School of Medicine. The ballots were counted on Tuesday (October 19), and the ayes overwhelmingly had it: 1511 to 612.
Advocates of the union have cited myriad reasons for wanting collective bargaining power, from desiring salary transparency and better health insurance to frustration with pandemic-related budget changes.
“I support the staff union because, in my 20 years at Pitt, I’ve seen the futility of trying to advocate as an individual voice,” ...
