For questions about your rights under the CBA, please contact [email protected] and for questions about our Local Union, please contact Local President Rich Schiavoni at [email protected] or [email protected].
WE HAVE A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT!
After over two years of hard bargaining, the Bargaining Committee and Council of Representatives have approved a tentative agreement (TA) for our first contract, and we are recommending it to the membership for ratification. You can find a summary of the most important parts of the tentative agreement below.
Before the tentative agreement can go into effect, it must be voted on by our members. Only faculty in the bargaining unit who have signed membership cards are eligible to vote on whether or not to ratify the tentative agreement. You must sign a membership card by Wednesday, May 1, to be able to participate in the ratification vote.
The vote will be conducted electronically by USW staff using OpaVote, a secure and transparent online election platform. All union members in the bargaining unit will receive a ballot to your Pitt email address (unless we have a non-Pitt email address on file at which you are already receiving union communications). Ballots will go out on Friday, May 3. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders for the ballot email since it will contain a link that is unique to each voter and can only be used once. Voting will close on Friday May 10. You can send questions about the voting process to [email protected].
In order for the tentative agreement to be ratified, a majority of valid ballots cast must favor ratification. Otherwise, your Bargaining Committee will be obligated to resume bargaining.
We want you to have the information you need to evaluate the TA and make an informed decision. Below is a summary of our contract, and the full tentative agreement is available here.
We will also hold several information sessions by Zoom with the bargaining committee and USW staff to explain the tentative agreement and answer questions. Please register at the links below:
Monday, April 29, 12–1:30pm
Thursday, May 2, 7–8:30pm
Tuesday, May 7, 4–5:30pm
Before the tentative agreement can go into effect, it must be voted on by our members. Only faculty in the bargaining unit who have signed membership cards are eligible to vote on whether or not to ratify the tentative agreement. You must sign a membership card by Wednesday, May 1, to be able to participate in the ratification vote.
The vote will be conducted electronically by USW staff using OpaVote, a secure and transparent online election platform. All union members in the bargaining unit will receive a ballot to your Pitt email address (unless we have a non-Pitt email address on file at which you are already receiving union communications). Ballots will go out on Friday, May 3. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders for the ballot email since it will contain a link that is unique to each voter and can only be used once. Voting will close on Friday May 10. You can send questions about the voting process to [email protected].
In order for the tentative agreement to be ratified, a majority of valid ballots cast must favor ratification. Otherwise, your Bargaining Committee will be obligated to resume bargaining.
We want you to have the information you need to evaluate the TA and make an informed decision. Below is a summary of our contract, and the full tentative agreement is available here.
We will also hold several information sessions by Zoom with the bargaining committee and USW staff to explain the tentative agreement and answer questions. Please register at the links below:
Monday, April 29, 12–1:30pm
Thursday, May 2, 7–8:30pm
Tuesday, May 7, 4–5:30pm
CONTRACT SUMMARY
We WON the top two priorities from the bargaining survey!
1. Improving salaries for the lowest-paid faculty: New salary minimums of $60,000 for most full-time faculty and $7,500/3-credit class (Pittsburgh) or $5,625/3-credit class (regionals) for part-time faculty. Currently full-time salaries are as low as $25,000/year, and 18% of full-time faculty are below $60,000. Part-time faculty earn as little as $2,500/3-credit class at the Pittsburgh campus and even less at the regionals. Over the life of the contract average salaries for full-time non-tenure stream faculty will increase by 15%, and average salaries for part-time non-tenure-stream faculty will increase by approximately 32%.
2. Job security: All full-time and part-time faculty will be automatically renewed after a short probationary period unless a narrow list of circumstances apply, primarily lack of work. Strong evaluation, discipline, and grievance procedures allow us to enforce these protections.
Compensation
Job security
Benefits and Leaves
Procedural protections
1. Improving salaries for the lowest-paid faculty: New salary minimums of $60,000 for most full-time faculty and $7,500/3-credit class (Pittsburgh) or $5,625/3-credit class (regionals) for part-time faculty. Currently full-time salaries are as low as $25,000/year, and 18% of full-time faculty are below $60,000. Part-time faculty earn as little as $2,500/3-credit class at the Pittsburgh campus and even less at the regionals. Over the life of the contract average salaries for full-time non-tenure stream faculty will increase by 15%, and average salaries for part-time non-tenure-stream faculty will increase by approximately 32%.
2. Job security: All full-time and part-time faculty will be automatically renewed after a short probationary period unless a narrow list of circumstances apply, primarily lack of work. Strong evaluation, discipline, and grievance procedures allow us to enforce these protections.
Compensation
- Minimum salaries:
- Full-time: $60,000 for all faculty with “professor” titles, librarian faculty, instructors and visiting faculty with terminal degrees, and Falk faculty at the highest rank; $50,000 for instructors and visiting faculty without terminal degrees and Falk faculty at other ranks; effective July 1, 2024
- Part-time: Pittsburgh $2,500/credit ($7,500/3-credit class); regionals $1,875/credit ($5,625/3-credit class); non-instructional faculty $45,000/year pro-rated; effective May 15, 2024
- No caps above these minimums
- Maintenance increases (COLA):
- July 1, 2023 (retroactive): $3,900 full-time; 4% part-time
- July 1, 2024: $3,140 full-time; 2.75% part-time
- July 1, 2025: 2.5% all faculty
- Ratification bonus (not included in base salary): $5000 full-time ($2500 within 60 days of ratification and $2500 May 15, 2025); $500 part-time (within 60 days of ratification)
- Promotion minimums (applied to base salary): Assistant to Associate $5,000; Associate to Full $7,500; Librarian promotions $5,000; Falk faculty promotions $2,000
- Overload minimums: Pittsburgh $2,500/credit; regionals $1,875/credit
- Merit/market/equity adjustments: a transparent process for requesting salary adjustments; no caps
Job security
- Presumptive renewal after one appointment (full-time) or three terms (part-time) for all non-tenure stream faculty. All full- and part-time faculty will be automatically renewed unless a narrow list of circumstances apply, primarily lack of work. This is a historic win: Very few faculty unions have achieved similar protections even after decades of trying to do so, and our contract is exceptional in having short probationary periods and including part-time faculty.
- Longer appointments, increasing with promotion for most full-time non-tenure-stream faculty. Assistant: 2 years; Associate: 3 years; Full: 5 years; Librarian I/II: 3 years; Librarian III/IV: 5 years; Instructors: 1 year or follow local school/campus policies; Falk: 1 year.
- A robust review of visiting faculty who have been at Pitt for 2.5 years or more to determine appropriate reclassification to presumptively renewable appointments.
- Layoffs limited to a narrow list of reasons for all faculty; generous severance for full-time faculty laid off due to closures; laid-off full-time faculty have opportunities to transfer to positions in other units.
Benefits and Leaves
- All part-time faculty (including in units that do not currently offer benefits) will be eligible for health benefits at 4 credits/term or 2 full days/week. Part-time faculty who currently receive benefits are guaranteed to keep their benefits regardless of workload.
- Caps on health care premiums and out-of-pocket increases for the life of the contract.
- Locks in retirement and education/tuition benefits.
- New sabbatical-like program for full-time non-tenure-stream faculty.
- New sick leave protections and personal days for full-time and part-time faculty.
- New bereavement leaves for full-time faculty.
- New guarantee of two weeks paid leave for jury duty for full-time faculty.
- Locks in 20-days paid vacation for 12-month faculty, in addition to holidays and recesses.
- Locks in sabbaticals for all tenured faculty, leaves for professional development, vacations, unpaid leaves, and other leaves.
- Locks in Faculty Medical and Family Leave policy, including up to six months of paid medical leave, four weeks paid family leave, and four weeks paid parental leave.
Procedural protections
- Grievance and Arbitration: Creates a single, streamlined process for resolving disputes. Requires neutral, legally binding third-party labor arbitration for any dispute that cannot be resolved internally, so that the final decision-maker is not just the administration.
- Discipline and Discharge: “Just cause” (discipline must be proportional, corrective rather than punitive, and based on sufficient evidence); pre-disciplinary meetings and union representation in any disciplinary process, with full due process rights; strengthens tenure by giving a faculty panel or an arbitrator—not the administration—final say about termination of tenured faculty.
- Academic Freedom: Protects our core rights in research, teaching, extramural speech, and intramural speech. Fully grievable and applies to all faculty, including non-tenure-stream, part-time, librarian, visiting, and Falk faculty, who are often excluded from such policies. The first written academic freedom policy in Pitt’s history.
- Evaluations: Dramatically limits use of student surveys such as OMETs in evaluation of our teaching. For unsatisfactory evaluations, establishes a robust system for performance improvement plans, agreed to by both faculty member and supervisor, with objective targets and timelines. Requires each unit to develop transparent criteria and guidelines for evaluation, including a teaching assessment plan. Requires that all of our work, including service, be considered in our evaluations.
- Workloads: Requires every unit to develop a workload policy that accounts for all of our work as percentages or other transparent, objective metrics. Annual teaching loads (before releases for research or administrative duties) capped at 18 credits/year (Pittsburgh) and 24 credits/year (regionals)—anything above that must be paid as an overload. Creates new protections against involuntary teaching overloads.
- Facilities and Support: Ensures access to materials, including bus passes, IDs, PeopleSoft/Canvas, library resources, computers and office space, etc, before start of classes.
- Appointments and renewals: Prevents required work in the summer when not on contract. 8-month faculty will be transitioned to 9-month appointments at the time of next renewal (with an option to request to stay on 8-month appointments for faculty with external funding). August 15 start date for 9-month faculty and part-time faculty means we get paid in August and part-time faculty are appointed before the start of classes.
- Health and Safety: Codifies health and safety standards that can be enforced through the grievance procedure (important because Pitt does not appear to be covered by OSHA).
- Non-discrimination: Codifies anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies that can be enforced through the grievance procedure (in addition to the EEOC). Creates new protections against "bullying," i.e., harassment that may not be motivated by discriminatory intent.
Why become a member of our Union?
As former Chancellor Gallagher said in an interview with the Pitt News, “That’s how you have a voice.” Only members are able to vote on our contracts, elect union representatives, participate in a strike vote (if there were one), and decide how to spend our dues money. In addition, the more members we have, the more leverage we have at the bargaining table. We are stronger when we stand together!
Here are some common questions about union membership:
Aren’t I already a member of the Union?
Being part of the bargaining unit does not automatically make you a member of our union, nor does having signed an authorization card prior to the vote on forming a union. The contracts that we negotiate with the administration will govern the working conditions of everyone in the bargaining unit, but only union members will have a voice in ratifying the contract and setting priorities for future contracts.
I’m a part-time or visiting faculty member. Can I be a member of the Union?
Yes! Part-time and visiting faculty are included in the bargaining unit and thus covered by the contract. In fact, one of our top priorities for this contract was to increase pay and job security for faculty members like you. You can be a member in good standing even during semesters when you are not currently employed at Pitt, as long as you are regularly employed at Pitt one term per year, and you will only pay dues when you are receiving a paycheck from Pitt. Feel free to email us if you have any questions about your eligibility ([email protected]).
How much are dues?
Dues are 1.5% of your total earnings from Pitt. Dues are only deducted when you are receiving a paycheck from Pitt. Of this money, 44% will stay with our local union. Members will decide how we spend that money. Dues are necessary for our Union to function and we can do a lot of good for our institution and our community with this money!
I’m ready to sign. What do I do?
Click on the “Become a Member” button at the top of this page and you will receive a digital membership card. Fill this card out with your info, sign using DocuSign, and you are all set!
As former Chancellor Gallagher said in an interview with the Pitt News, “That’s how you have a voice.” Only members are able to vote on our contracts, elect union representatives, participate in a strike vote (if there were one), and decide how to spend our dues money. In addition, the more members we have, the more leverage we have at the bargaining table. We are stronger when we stand together!
Here are some common questions about union membership:
Aren’t I already a member of the Union?
Being part of the bargaining unit does not automatically make you a member of our union, nor does having signed an authorization card prior to the vote on forming a union. The contracts that we negotiate with the administration will govern the working conditions of everyone in the bargaining unit, but only union members will have a voice in ratifying the contract and setting priorities for future contracts.
I’m a part-time or visiting faculty member. Can I be a member of the Union?
Yes! Part-time and visiting faculty are included in the bargaining unit and thus covered by the contract. In fact, one of our top priorities for this contract was to increase pay and job security for faculty members like you. You can be a member in good standing even during semesters when you are not currently employed at Pitt, as long as you are regularly employed at Pitt one term per year, and you will only pay dues when you are receiving a paycheck from Pitt. Feel free to email us if you have any questions about your eligibility ([email protected]).
How much are dues?
Dues are 1.5% of your total earnings from Pitt. Dues are only deducted when you are receiving a paycheck from Pitt. Of this money, 44% will stay with our local union. Members will decide how we spend that money. Dues are necessary for our Union to function and we can do a lot of good for our institution and our community with this money!
I’m ready to sign. What do I do?
Click on the “Become a Member” button at the top of this page and you will receive a digital membership card. Fill this card out with your info, sign using DocuSign, and you are all set!
