UNION PROPOSALS - NON-ECONOMIC
Article title |
Description |
Status |
History |
Purpose |
Short statement of shared goals for the contract, reflecting the Union's desire to build a collaborative working relationship and to prioritize the academic mission. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal as “Academic Mission” 2022-03-22; admin rejected 2022-05-22; admin counter as “Purpose” 2022-05-25; union counter 2022-06-22; admin counter 2022-06-22; union counter 2022-07-08; admin counter 2022-07-19; union counter 2022-07-20; TA 2022-08-01 |
Separability |
Technical article ensuring contract remains in effect if one part is found to be invalid by a court or government agency. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-05-03; TA 2022-06-22 |
Dues Deduction |
Establishes procedures for faculty members to authorize voluntary dues deductions from their paychecks. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-03-33; admin counter 2022-07-08; union counter 2022-07-20; admin counter 2023-01-12; union counter 2023-01-12; admin counter 2023-01-24; union counter 2023-01-24; admin counter 2023-02-03; union counter 2023-02-07; TA 2022-02-0 |
Labor-Management Meetings |
Establishes a process for monthly meetings between union and administration to maintain open communication about issues affecting the bargaining unit. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2022-05-05; union counter 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-06-07; union counter 2022-06-22; TA 2022-06-22 |
Health and Safety |
Establishes health and safety protections for faculty, process for reporting safety hazards, safety trainings, and process for ongoing communication over health and safety issues between the union and administration, especially since PA does not have a public sector occupational health and safety law. (more) |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2022-07-20; union counter 2022-09-19; admin counter 2022-10-11; admin counter 2022-11-15; union counter 2022-11-15; admin counter 2022-12-14; union counter 2022-12-14; union counter 2022-12-15; admin counter 2023-01-09; admin counter 2023-02-22; union counter 2023-02-22; TA 2023-02-22 |
Union Communication and Access |
Ensures that our Union will have the information we need to advocate for our colleagues, that we will have access to campus spaces to hold meetings and events, that we will be part of orientations for new faculty, and that we will be able to communicate with our colleagues without interference |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2022-06-07; union counter 2022-06-22; admin rejection 2022-07-20; union counter 2022-08-01; admin counter 2022-09-07; admin counter 2022-09-19; union counter 2022-10-11; admin counter 2022-11-15; union counter 2022-11-15; admin counter 2022-12-14; admin counter 2023-01-19; union counter 2023-01-12; admin counter 2023-01-24; union counter 2023-01-24; admin counter 2023-02-03; union counter 2023-02-07; admin counter 2023-02-22; union counter 2023-02-22; TA 2023-02-22 |
Facilities and Support |
Ensures access to resources necessary for us to do our jobs, prior to start of classes. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-08-01; union counter 2022-08-25; admin counter 2022-09-07; union counter 2022-09-07; admin counter 2022-09-19; union counter 2022-09-19; admin counter 2022-10-11; union counter 2022-10-11; TA 2022-10-27 |
Grievance and Arbitration |
Significant progress: closer to tenured faculty having enforceable due process rights, but need to close various loopholes. |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2022-09-19; union counter 2022-10-11; union counter 2023-01-31; admin counter 2023-02-22; union counter 2023-03-03; admin counter 2023-03-13; union counter 2023-03-13; admin counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-07-25; admin package counter 2023-09-08; union counter 2023-09-08; admin package counter 2023-09-14; union counter 2023-09-19; admin package counter 2023-09-19 |
|
Discipline and Discharge |
Establishes fair and transparent procedures for disciplining or firing faculty, including “just cause,” a well-established legal standard that requires that discipline be based on substantial evidence, and that it be proportional, progressive, and fairly applied. (more) |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2023-02-22; union counter 2023-03-03; admin counter 2023-03-13; union counter 2023-03-13; admin counter 2023-03-14; union counter 2023-03-14; admin counter 2023-04-04; union counter 2023-04-17; admin counter 2023-04-17; union counter 2023-04-17; admin counter 2023-04-17; union counter 2023-04-18; TA 2023-04-18 |
Academic Freedom and Ethical Conduct |
Establishes basic protections against discipline for teaching, research, and “extramural speech” (eg as private citizens), along with corresponding obligations. |
Significant progress: Both sides agree to language that includes protections for research, teaching, private speech, and “intramural speech” (eg internal debate and discussion, which we agreed to move to the Shared Governance article). We have concerns about ambiguity of certain limits to academic freedom but clarity is within reach. |
Union proposal 2022-03-22; admin counter 2022-05-25; rejected by union 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-07-08; rejected by union 2022-08-01; admin proposes “ethical conduct” 2022-08-01; admin counter 2022-09-19; union counter (incorporating “ethical conduct” 2022-10-11; admin counter 2023-01-12; union counter 2023-01-24; admin counter 2023-04-17; union counter 2023-04-18; admin rejection 2023-08-21; union counter 2023-09-08 |
Non-Discrimination, Anti-Harassment, and Anti-Bullying |
Establishes protections against discrimination based on specific categories, protections against harassment protecting everyone, a process for ongoing communication and collaboration related to diversity, equity, and inclusion between the Union and administration, and training. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-07-20; union counter 2022-08-01; admin counter 2022-09-07; union counter 2022-09-19; admin rejected 2022-10-11; union counter 2022-10-11; admin counter 2022-10-11; union counter 2022-10-13; admin rejected most recent counter 2022-11-15; admin counter 2023-05-16; union counter 2023-05-16; admin counter 2023-05-23; union counter 2023-05-23; admin counter 2023-05-23; TA 2023-05-24 |
Intellectual Property |
Covers ownership of scholarly works, teaching materials, and inventions |
Some progress: apparent agreement to incorporate most of existing policy; apart on admin discretion over changing policy mid-contract |
Union proposal 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-06-22; union counter 2022-07-08; admin rejected 2022-07-20; union counter 2022-10-11; admin rejected most recent counter 2022-11-15; union counter 2023-04-18; union counter 2023-09-08; admin counter 2023-09-14 |
Recognition |
Outlines who is covered by the contract, which is determined by the PA Labor Board's decision. |
Some progress: admin keeps trying to exclude people, even though there is nothing to negotiate since the PLRB decides. Changes can only be made by filing a Unit Clarification petition through the PLRB. |
Union proposal 2022-03-22; admin counter 2022-05-03; admin counter 2022-05-25; union counter 2022-06-07; admin counter 2022-07-20; rejected by union 2022-08-01; admin counter 2023-03-09; union counter 2023-03-13 |
Appointment and Renewal |
Increases appointment lengths and provides for automatic renewals; creates consistent flexible appointment structures for all faculty, including part-time (more) |
See below: this proposal has been broken up into separate proposals for each subset of faculty, plus a separate proposal on notice of appointment. |
Union proposal 2022-07-20; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19; admin counter with “Notice of Appointment,” “Full-time Appointment Stream Faculty,” “Part-time Appointment Stream Faculty,” and “Visiting Faculty” 2022-12-14; union counter 2023-01-24; admin counter with “Falk School,” “Library Faculty,” and “PT Appt Stream Faculty 2022-01-24; admin counter on FT/AS 2023-04-04; union counter 2023-04-4; admin counter on FT/AS 2023-04-17 |
Notice of Appointment |
Addresses the contents of appointment letters. |
Tentative agreement |
(See above for prior history); union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-05-23; TA 2023-05-23 |
Full-Time Appointment Stream Faculty |
Addresses appointment lengths, the renewal process, and promotion processes for full-time appointment stream faculty. |
Significant progress: we agree on significant improvements to contract lengths and renewal procedures; we are apart on critical details in how those protections would be enforced, along with other details including the administration's desire to circumvent the disciplinary procedures through non-renewal. |
(See above for prior history); union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-06-14; union counter 2023-06-14; admin counter 2023-06-20; union counter 2023-06-20; admin counter 2023-07-25; union counter 2023-08-03; admin package counter 2023-09-08; union counter 2023-09-08; admin package counter 2023-09-14; union counter 2023-09-19; admin package counter 2023-09-19 |
Part-Time Appointment Stream Faculty |
Addresses appointment lengths, the renewal process, and paths to full-time work for part-time appointment stream faculty who want it. |
Tentative agreement |
(See above for prior history); union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-5-23; admin revised counter 2023-06-14; union counter 2023-06-14; admin counter 2023-06-20; union counter 2023-06-20; admin counter 2023-06-22; union counter 2023-07-11; admin counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-07-17; admin counter 2023-07-25; union counter 2023-07-25; admin counter 2023-08-03; union counter 2023-08-03; admin categorical rejection 2023-08-03; admin counter 2023-08-21; union counter 2023-09-08; admin counter 2023-09-14; union counter 2023-09-14; admin counter 2023-09-19; TA 2023-09-19 |
Visiting Faculty |
Addresses policies governing appointment of faculty to “visiting” positions. |
Significant progress: we have reached agreement on reclassifying long-term "visiting" faculty, but we are seeking greater limits on future use of visiting appointments to avoid eroding new protections for all faculty. |
(See above for prior history); union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-05-23; union counter 2023-05-23; admin counter 2023-06-14; union counter 2023-06-14; admin counter 2023-06-20; union counter 2023-07-11; admin rejection with no other counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-08-03; admin counter 2023-08-03; union counter 2023-08-21 |
Tenured and Tenure Stream Faculty |
Addresses tenure and promotion policies for tenure stream and tenured faculty. |
Significant progress: both sides generally agree about codifying the existing tenure system as part of the contract; we are seeking language that ensures the transparency and enforceability of the process that tenured faculty currently expect (whereas admin's current proposal would give tenured faculty fewer due process rights than everyone else). |
(See above for prior history); union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-06-22; union counter 2023-06-22; admin counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-07-11; updated union counter 2023-07-17; admin counter 2023-07-25; union counter 2023-08-03; admin package counter 2023-09-08; union counter 2023-09-08; admin package counter 2023-09-14; union counter 2023-09-19 |
Workload |
Ensures everyone has transparent work assignments, creates protections against excessive teaching loads and involuntary overloads. |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-07-20; admin counter 2023-02-22; union counter 2023-03-03; union counter 2023-03-09; admin counter 2023-05-09; union counter 2023-05-09; admin counter 2023-05-23; union counter 2023-06-14; admin counter 2023-06-20; union counter 2023-06-22; admin counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-07-25; admin counter 2023-07-25; union counter 2023-08-03; admin counter 2023-08-03 w side letter on Bradford; union counter 2023-08-21; TA 2023-08-21 |
Faculty Evaluations |
Establishes procedures for evaluating faculty work fairly and transparently, providing for local variation, including industry-leading new limits on use of student surveys in evaluation of teaching |
Tentative agreement |
Union proposal 2022-07-20; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19; admin counter 2022-12-14; union counter 2023-01-31; admin counter 2023-05-16; union counter 2023-05-16; admin counter 2023-06-20; union counter 2023-06-22; admin counter 2023-06-22; union counter 2023-06-29; admin counter 2023-07-11; union counter 2023-07-11; admin counter 2023-07-11; verbal TA 2023-07-11 |
Promotion and Tenure |
Establishes fair and transparent promotion and tenure procedures and standards, providing for local variation |
See above: this topic has been broken out into the separate proposals for each faculty group above. |
Union proposal 2022-07-20; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19 |
Layoff and Recall |
Establishes fair and transparent procedures for layoffs in the event of financial exigency, program closure, or other bona fide lack of work, creates recall rights for faculty who have been laid off |
Limited progress: admin counter on 2023-05-09 claims unlimited discretion over layoffs of all faculty; we think it should be limited to demonstrable reductions in available work due to financial exigency or program closures. Admin's current position would make the job security protections we are addressing in other proposals meaningless. |
Union proposal 2022-07-20; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19; union counter 2023-01-24; admin counter 2023-05-09 |
Shared Governance |
Establishes protections and standards for university- and unit-level shared governance to allow for variation in policies and procedures in different schools/campuses (more) |
Some progress: admin counter includes strong protections for “ardent advocacy” over university governance, but still refuses to acknowledge our union as the exclusive representative for our bargaining unit. |
Union proposal 2022-04-20; admin counter 2022-09-19; union counter 2023-01-31; admin counter 2023-04-17; union counter 2023-04-18; admin counter 2023-08-21; union counter 2023-09-08; admin counter 2023-09-14 |
Falk Laboratory School |
Policies and procedures specific to faculty at Falk |
Some progress on issues related to workday, breaks, and prep time. Apart on scheduling meetings and events outside the regular workday/school year. Admin counter includes Falk faculty in job security improvements, but similarly includes language that makes those improvements unenforceable. |
Union proposal 2022-08-25; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19; admin counter 2023-01-24; union counter 2022-02-07; admin counter 2023-03-13; union counter 2023-03-14; admin counter 2023-04-04; union counter 2023-04-04; admin counter 2023-07-25; union counter 2023-08-21 |
Subcontracting and Bargaining Unit Work |
Protects faculty work from competition by subcontractors or other employees |
Admin rejected, countered with Management Rights |
Union proposal 2022-06-07; admin reject/counter with Management Rights 2022-09-19 |
Online Instruction |
Covers training and support for online teaching assignments |
Admin rejected |
Union proposal 2022-06-07; admin rejected 2022-07-20; union counter 2022-08-25 |
Successorship |
Ensures collective bargaining will continue if Pitt is sold or becomes private |
Admin rejected |
Union proposal 2022-08-25; admin rejected 2022-09-19 |
Neutrality |
Commits admin to neutrality if other employees decide to unionize |
Admin rejected |
Union proposal 2022-08-25; admin rejection 2022-09-19 |
UNION PROPOSALS - ECONOMIC
Article title |
Description |
Status |
History |
Compensation |
Proposes cost of living increases of 8.3%/year (current inflation rate); experience increases of $5000/year (prorated for PT faculty); a salary floor of $60 thousand for all faculty (prorated for PT faculty); and 10% promotion increases. Creates a process for equity adjustments, and allows for individual market/retention negotiations (more) |
No response from admin |
Union proposal 2022-09-19 |
Benefits |
Protects existing benefits and expands them to all faculty (health, retirement, disability, education, dependent care, parking and transportation, fitness, professional development, and visa support); proposes expansions for childcare, parking, reproductive health and gender affirming care, work visas, and flexible work arrangements (more) |
No response from admin |
Union proposal 2022-10-17 |
Leaves |
Creates fair and transparent procedures for family and medical leave, sick leave, sabbaticals, unpaid leaves, buyouts, vacations, union leave, bereavement leave, and intimate partner violence leave (more) |
No response from admin |
Union proposal 2022-11-15; union updated 2023-02-22 |
Research Support |
Establishes standards for soft money, expense and travel reimbursement, research incentive programs, and bridge funding (more) |
No response from admin |
Union proposal 2022-11-15 |
ADMIN PROPOSALS
Title |
Description |
Status |
History |
Management Rights |
Expansive claim of unilateral authority and discretion over every aspect of our jobs, far exceeding the current status quo, presented as a “counter” to our proposals on Appointments and Renewal; Workload; Performance Evaluation; Promotion and Tenure; Layoff and Recall; Falk Laboratory School; and Subcontracting and Bargaining Unit Work |
Some progress: The Union's proposal acknowledges the administration’s already robust rights under the law, along with their broad rights to manage the university; but the administration's proposal would give them total unilateral control over virtually everything, including the content and methods of individual faculty members' teaching. |
Admin proposal 2022-09-19; union counter 2022-09-19; admin counter 2023-05-16; union counter 2023-07-25; admin package counter 2023-09-8; union counter 2023-09-14; admin package counter 2023-09-14; union counter 2023-09-19; admin package counter 2023-09-19 |
Union Conferences and Training |
Allows for modest leaves for faculty to attend union conferences and trainings |
Incorporated into our Leaves proposal |
Admin proposal 2022-10-11; union counter with Leaves 2023-02-22 |
No Strike No Lockout |
Prohibits strikes or lockouts during the term of the contract. PA law already prohibits strikes during a contract. Admin’s proposal includes highly punitive language for faculty who act independently. |
Some progress: The law already prohibits strikes while a contract is in place, but the administration wants extreme punitive measures that go far beyond the law. |
Admin proposal 2022-09-19; union counter 2023-01-31; admin counter 2023-05-09 |
Ethical Conduct |
Enumerates limits to academic freedom and ethical obligations binding faculty |
Incorporated into Academic Freedom and Ethical Conduct |
Admin proposal 2022-08-01; union counter with Academic Freedom 2022-10-11 |
Personnel Files |
Summarizes faculty members' legal right to access their personnel file. |
Tentative agreement |
Admin proposal 2023-04-17; TA 2023-04-18 |
