BARGAINING
UPDATES

August 14, 2025

The Pitt administration is withholding our raises.

During this bargaining session, the administration flatly rejected our proposal for a stipend raise for the rest of the school year, and refused to offer a counter. They also doubled down on their position that grad workers don’t perform independent work and don’t deserve a workplace free of discrimination. This is a direct attack on grad workers, and we will not stand for it. We see this for what it is: an escalation of Pitt’s disrespect for the work we do to make this university run. 

The good news? We won’t back down. 

Last session we packed the room to show Pitt that our union will not allow them to continue to hurt grads with their targeted retaliatory policies. This act moved the administration to finally return six counter proposals to us on Public Safety, Health and Safety, Professional Rights, Appointments, English Language Proficiency Testing, and Non-Discrimination. We quickly returned counter proposals on Training, Performance Evaluation, Public Safety, Professional Rights, Appointments, and English Language Proficiency Testing, and are working to draft counter proposals for Health and Safety and Non-Discrimination so that we can return them as quickly as possible. 

Keep an eye out for more information from us about what you can do to help push the administration to give us the raises we deserve.

As usual, you can stay up to date with our Bargaining Tracker. Don’t forget to fill out your membership card, or to fill out this form if your working conditions change. The administration will NOT have access to your membership card information (including whether or not you signed one) until our first contract is ready for ratification. 

In solidarity,  

Your bargaining committee  

Lauren Wewer, Chair (MEMS)  
Michaela Cushing-Daniels, Recording Secretary (SPIA)  
Keanna Cash (SOE)  
Greta Cheng (SPH)  
Aden Halpern (Economics)  
Alisa Omelchenko (SOM)
Chi-Tsung Chang (English)  
Tori Bonidie (Physics & Astronomy)  
Hollen Tillman (SSW) 
Matt Nader (USW)
Nate Kilbert (USW)
Don Shaffer (USW)