BARGAINING
UPDATES

December 17, 2025

Huge News!! After months of pressure, we have an agreement on interim raises for grad workers! This is a direct result of our membership’s organizing efforts and we could not be more proud. We sent an email earlier with full details about this agreement, but the TLDR is:

  • A 2.5% raise for in-unit grad workers (TAs, TFs, GSAs, and GSRs) retroactive to September 1.

  • All raises payable by January 31, 2026.

  • All grad workers with TA/TF/GSA/GSR appointments in Fall 2025 still employed by the university will receive back pay.

As a reminder, this raise is only for this academic year. We hope to begin negotiations for the raises that will take effect in our first contract soon!

Last Wednesday, we met with Pitt’s bargaining committee for the last time this semester. After weeks of negotiations, we have come to a tentative agreement on procedures around grievance and arbitration! This proposal is key for our ability to resolve workplace disputes with the administration, and we were able to win important protections regarding these processes after months of bargaining.

In the morning, we offered counter proposals on rules for Appointments and conditions around Public Safety. The administration returned six counter proposals including Grievance and Arbitration, Discipline and Discharge, International Employees, Support, and Health and Safety. While they also returned a counter proposal on nondiscrimination, we were incredibly disappointed that this was the same counter proposal they offered in August, effectively ignoring our most recent counter. This lack of progress is frustrating, but we will continue to push for the protections grad workers deserve. Unfortunately, the administration did not schedule further bargaining for our unit this month, but we will update you in the new year as we prepare actions around these key issues. We are also still awaiting a response on academic freedom, a proposal that would protect our ability to teach and research independently, as well as speak outside of our workplaces, without fear of discipline. Pittsburgh Public Source recently published a piece covering our bargaining committee’s fight on this issue.

If you are interested in joining future bargaining sessions as an observer, fill out this general interest form. These actions have been critical to our success in winning our interim raise and key protections for our first contract! Becoming a member of the Pitt Grad Union is another essential action you can take to build our power at the bargaining table and beyond.

As usual, you can stay up to date with our Bargaining Tracker, and see this and previous updates and newsletters here. 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)    
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)