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Pitt faculty union elects bargaining committee, begins negotiating with administration
Four months after Pitt faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionization, the union’s newly formed bargaining committee sat down alongside United Steelworkers representatives last Friday to negotiate with the administration for the first time.
Negotiations will continue until Pitt officials and committee members agree on a first-ever contract, before turning it over to University faculty for the final vote.
Pitt’s new faculty union began electing committees to bargain with top officials immediately after the October election. On Feb. 3, faculty formally elected the union’s 62-person Council of Representatives, which includes faculty from all schools and campuses. A week later, those representatives selected a 15-member bargaining committee — a subset of the Council — to negotiate directly with the administration.
Committee members declined to answer questions about the details of negotiations, and said it remains “very early in the process.”
“We are excited to bargain a fair contract that reflects the hard work and dedication Pitt faculty demonstrate every day,” Melinda Ciccocioppo, a psychology lecturer, said. “Our entire campus community stands to benefit from this process, as we seek to build an environment in which faculty, staff and students can all successfully work and learn.”
Union representatives didn’t say how long they expect negotiations to last, but a Bloomberg Law analysis shows an average of 466 days for new unions and employers in the education sector to reach a collective bargaining agreement after a union election, meaning Pitt’s faculty union could reach a contract by February 2023.
Any member of the bargaining unit who submits a union card may vote to ratify the initial contract, though future membership and voting eligibility will require dues. According to the Pitt faculty union website, Steelworker dues are 1.45% of each member’s gross monthly earnings plus $0.02 per hour worked. Part-time faculty paid by the credit hour or contact hour pay 1.5%, with no per-hour component. Regardless of membership status, union-negotiated contracts will apply to all members of the bargaining unit.
The University will reach an agreement with new legal representation behind it.
According to University spokesperson David Seldin, Pitt hired law firm Ogletree Deakins as counsel during negotiations. The firm is one of the largest that helps employers “minimize the risk of unionization,” and successfully helped IKEA resist a 2016 unionization effort in Massachusetts.
Seldin said Pitt continues to work with firm Ballard Spahr “on a number of matters,” leaving it unclear whether that includes ongoing unionization efforts by Pitt staff and graduate students. Since the latest unionization efforts at Pitt began in earnest six years ago, the University’s tab with Ballard Spahr has approached $3 million, including $721,152 during the most recent fiscal year.
Throughout the faculty union drive, several professors slammed the payments as a waste of money and accused the University of using obstruction tactics to derail unionization efforts.
Seldin said the University will remain focused on meeting faculty members’ needs throughout the collective bargaining process.
“We look forward to working productively with the faculty union as negotiations get underway,” Seldin said. “The University’s priority is to continue partnering with faculty to advance their pursuits of excellence in teaching, scholarship and research.”
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https://ift.tt/U1DKPmzPitt in the Pros: Trio of Panthers have much to gain at NFL combine
The NFL combine kicks off this week in Indianapolis and three former Panthers — quarterback Kenny Pickett, defensive back Damarri Mathis and long snapper Cal Adomitis — will attend. All three players have much to prove if they want to increase their draft stock. Here’s what to look out for from each player.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett
Pickett had two choices last year — enter the NFL draft as a projected late round pick, or bet on himself and return to Pittsburgh for a final season. Pickett chose the latter and went on to have one of the most prolific seasons ever by a Pitt quarterback, culminating in an ACC Championship and a Heisman ceremony invite.
The future now looks bright for Pitt’s all-time passing leader, as Pickett is a projected first-round selection. But Pickett will still have to put in work at the combine to solidify his position. Concerns around Pickett’s hand size circulated during the Senior Bowl last month. Unfortunately, Pickett can’t miraculously spurt larger hands before the Draft. Pickett will need to demonstrate that small hands will not affect his throwing or ball security abilities in the NFL.
Look for Pickett to also try and prove himself as an athlete in the 40-yard dash and bench press drills. Pickett’s creativity and toughness were on display all season, especially after fake sliding his way to a 58-yard rushing touchdown in the ACC Championship game.
Even though this year’s class of signal callers is generally considered weak, Pickett will not run through the combine without competition. Pickett will feel pressure from other quarterbacks such as Malik Willis of Liberty and Matt Corral of Ole Miss, who are both projected first round selections. Pickett will also be closely watching North Carolina’s Sam Howell. The pair dueled in November, with Pickett and the Panthers gaining the upper hand, but Howell’s stock has continued to rise since, making him a possible first round selection too.
Several teams seem interested in selecting Pickett in the first round, including the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints. The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be a dark horse in the Pickett sweepstakes. If the Steelers look to the draft to replace long-time field general Ben Roethlisberger, then Pickett could be a potential target for their 20th pick.
Projected Pick: Round 1, Pick 6 Carolina Panthers
Defensive Back Damarri Mathis
After sitting out the 2020 season with an injury, Mathis fought hard all season to earn a spot in the NFL combine. The former Panther defensive back earned an All-ACC honorable mention and played a crucial role in the ACC Championship game victory. But Mathis will have to continue fighting if he wants to hear his name called in the draft. Mathis is a projected last round pick, making his performance in the combine absolutely crucial.
One critical drill for Mathis in the combine will be the 40-yard dash. Mathis did not run the drill in the Senior Bowl, making the combine his first and only recorded performance before the draft. This drill is often regarded as the most important event for defensive backs, as speed is absolutely crucial for the position. Mathis will likely need to run a sub 4.50 in the event to be competitive with other defensive backs.
Pitt’s neighbors at their South Side practice facility may be the favorites to land Mathis. The former Panther recently expressed interest in staying in Pittsburgh and the Steelers are in the market for support in the secondary.
Projected Pick: Undrafted Free Agent Pittsburgh Steelers
LS Cal Adomitis
Adomitis won’t face much competition in the combine, as he will be the only long snapper in attendance. But Adomitis will still need to perform well to earn a spot in the draft. Only two long snappers were drafted in 2021, meaning Adomitis’s position puts him at an automatic disadvantage.
Still, the most decorated long snapper in Pitt history has proven himself worthy of a draft. Adomitis earned first team All-American status in 2021 as well as the Patrick Mannelly Trophy for best long snapper in the country last season.
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers could be looking at Adomitis this week, as both teams have aging long snappers. Admonitis will likely fall to the later rounds, as long snappers typically are picked in the 5th to 6th rounds.
Projected Pick: Round 6 Cincinnati Bengals
The combine will commence on Feb. 28. Quarterback drills will take place on Thursday, while defensive back and special team events are scheduled for Sunday. Coverage will take place all week on NFL Network.
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https://ift.tt/6457LVlDanielle Floyd wins SGB presidency for 2022-23 academic year
Danielle Floyd will serve as the president of Student Government Board for the 2022-23 school year. She beat opponent Arjun Manjunath of the For You Panthers slate in Tuesday’s election with 59.09% of the vote — a margin of 687 votes.
Floyd, who ran as a member of the Dream slate, said she felt “very excited” and grateful after hearing the results announced Tuesday evening.
“I want to thank all the people who supported me throughout this whole campaign and had my back,” Floyd said.
A total of 3,779 students voted — about 16.3% of Pitt’s undergraduate student body. This is a decrease from last year’s turnout of 4,804 voters, or 20.5% of the student body.
Despite his loss, Manjunath said he is happy for his opponent.
“I’d like to congratulate Danielle Floyd, she worked so hard on her campaign,” Manjunath said, “I’m really proud of this and I’m happy to have done this campaign.”
Results were announced at SGB’s weekly public meeting in Nordy’s Place on Tuesday. Students were able to vote earlier in the day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Isabel Lam, another member of the Dream slate, received the most votes for board member. She received 1,424 votes, or 15.92% of voters. Lam said she is happy to be done campaigning.
“Sometimes you lose the light at the end of the tunnel,” Lam said. “But at the end, you show that your community is there. I’m so happy to begin the work that will occur next year and work with all these amazing individuals.”
Alison Linares Mendoza and Derek Dressler will join fellow Dream slate members Floyd and Lam on the board next year.
Sophia Shapiro, Celeste Lintz and Bhuvitha Chagantipati of the For You Panthers slate also won board seats, along with Daniel Temmallo of the Steel City slate and independent candidate Corbin Makar.
Makar will serve his first term as a board member next year. He said he is looking forward to the experience.
“I’m really excited to make it on the board,” Makar said. “[Campaigning as an independent candidate] was a lot of hard work, but it paid off in the end.”
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https://ift.tt/FCmNpDyTamar Braxton’s Latest Thirst Trap Video Will Have Fans Drooling
VIDEO: Working While Being A Student
We spoke to students about what it’s like to be employed while still in college!
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