Pitt grad students seek union election
Graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh filed for a union election Friday.
The move comes three years after the USW Graduate Student Organizing committee began an organizing campaign under the auspices of the United Steelworkers of America.
Students delivered union cards to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board in Harrisburg early Friday afternoon.
They are seeking a collective bargaining agreement that would cover graduate student employees across Pitt's Oakland campus. Union officials estimated some 2,000 graduate students who teach and conduct research could be eligible to join a union.
“Graduate students do important work that is vital to the success of the university,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “They deserve to have a voice on the job.”
A Pitt spokesman said the university learned of the filing when the Tribune-Review inquired about it Friday afternoon.
“We are committed to providing our graduate students with an exceptional academic experience, and this will remain our focus moving forward,” said Joe Miksch, the university's director of media relations.
A union spokesman said an election could take place early next year if the university does not contest the process.
The USW has held successful organizing campaigns among so-called adjunct or part-time faculty at Point Park, Robert Morris and Duquesne universities in recent years.
At Penn State University, graduate students have organized under the banner of the Coalition of Graduate Employees. The organization petitioned the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board for a union election in February. The election was delayed when the university contested the petition. Coalition spokeswoman Katie Warczak said the group is awaiting a ruling and expects to hold an election this spring.
Pitt and Penn State are following a path broken nearly two decades ago when graduate students at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's other state-related research university, successfully organized a collective bargaining unit.
Debra Erdley is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7996, derdley@tribweb.com or via Twitter @deberdley_trib.
