University Times

Colleagues:

I am writing this during Campus Equity Week (Oct. 25-31), the same week that the Pitt faculty organizing committee (PFOC) made public its campaign to organize a faculty union at Pitt across all ranks in affiliation with the United Steelworkers (USW). (See Oct. 29 University Times.)

As the president of the Pitt chapter of the American Association of University Professors (Pitt AAUP), I am pleased that our chapter has voted to support the USW’s organizing effort at Pitt.  Indeed, I and other members of the Pitt AAUP have been active with the PFOC from its inception.  While the national AAUP has been informed of our chapter’s support of this campaign, they are not involved with it. The cooperative relationship is only between the local Pitt chapter and the USW. It is a natural relationship, as we share a number of concerns and values involving, for example, academic freedom, governance, the quality of our educational mission, the growing reliance upon part-time and contingent labor, and equitable treatment of faculty. These are issues which I believe engage most faculty members at Pitt, regardless of rank or school, and the Pitt AAUP consider collective bargaining an appropriate way of addressing them.

The Pitt AAUP regards our support of the PFOC and the USW as an opportunity to advance our advocacy of AAUP principles and to ensure that the organizing campaign remains in harmony with them. This will remain, I believe, a synergistic and mutually beneficial relationship. I invite other interested faculty to join with us.

Beverly Ann Gaddy
President, Pitt AAUP
and
Associate Professor Political Science
Pitt-Greensburg
###

University Times letters policy

Letters should be submitted at least one week prior to publication. Persons criticized in a letter will receive a copy of the letter so that they may prepare a response. If no response is received, the letter will be published alone.

Letters can be sent by e-mail to njbrown@pitt.edu or by campus mail to 308 Bellefield Hall.

The University Times reserves the right to edit letters for clarity or length. Individuals are limited to two published letters per academic term. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication.