I came to Pitt from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the most unionized university in New England. We had a faculty and librarian union (MSP-MTA), a professional staff union (PSU), a graduate student union (GEO-UAW) and an undergraduate union (the Resident Assistants Union, UAW 2322). The University was accustomed to negotiating work conditions for all its workers, and the result was that our mutual communication was structured to benefit the whole campus.
To give a concrete example, I was part of a team of faculty and librarians who worked with Administrators to research and construct policies that would allow the University to identify itself as a “family friendly” workplace. Because we were a part of the Union, we knew that most faculty members retire without claiming anywhere near the number of sick days they are owed. We proposed re-purposing the sick-leave bank to include not only parental leave, but also to make leave available for faculty who needed to care for an elder family member. The Union facilitated collaboration with Administration that allowed us to structure a creative set of policies that represented the uniqueness of the University as a workplace. Those policies also proved helpful when we were recruiting new faculty.
This Union structure also allowed us to have input into how we communicate professional standards to our students, especially in reference to plagiarism. The policies the Union negotiated were clear and understandable and profoundly affected our instructional responsibilities for the better.
We were able to work with the University Administration to create an annual assessment tool that gives faculty credit for many different kinds of academic work. Having a Union also allowed us to put our scholarly expertise to helping with goals like diversifying the faculty and accounting for varying promotional standards in comparable departments.
Overall, the Union presence assured us that we had a place where we could think usefully and critically about the kind of working conditions that would allow all of us to thrive. A Union of Pitt Faculty could yield similar benefits. That’s why I support the union.
--Laura Lovett, Department of History
To give a concrete example, I was part of a team of faculty and librarians who worked with Administrators to research and construct policies that would allow the University to identify itself as a “family friendly” workplace. Because we were a part of the Union, we knew that most faculty members retire without claiming anywhere near the number of sick days they are owed. We proposed re-purposing the sick-leave bank to include not only parental leave, but also to make leave available for faculty who needed to care for an elder family member. The Union facilitated collaboration with Administration that allowed us to structure a creative set of policies that represented the uniqueness of the University as a workplace. Those policies also proved helpful when we were recruiting new faculty.
This Union structure also allowed us to have input into how we communicate professional standards to our students, especially in reference to plagiarism. The policies the Union negotiated were clear and understandable and profoundly affected our instructional responsibilities for the better.
We were able to work with the University Administration to create an annual assessment tool that gives faculty credit for many different kinds of academic work. Having a Union also allowed us to put our scholarly expertise to helping with goals like diversifying the faculty and accounting for varying promotional standards in comparable departments.
Overall, the Union presence assured us that we had a place where we could think usefully and critically about the kind of working conditions that would allow all of us to thrive. A Union of Pitt Faculty could yield similar benefits. That’s why I support the union.
--Laura Lovett, Department of History
