By SUSAN JONES
Cards were filed in June 2023 for a union election for Pitt staff, represented by the United Steelworkers, and organizers and the University are now awaiting a ruling from the PLRB.
A recent email from the volunteer organizing committee said: “We are just weeks away from our union election.” But it’s not quite as clearcut as that.
A spokesman for the PLRB said there is no average time from when organizers file for a union election to when the election occurs. “Before an election can proceed, the (PLRB) must decide on the petition's completeness, the necessary showing of interest relative to the proposed bargaining unit, the appropriateness of the proposed unit on its face, and, if necessary, resolve disagreements over the unit description through a pre-hearing conference and possibly a hearing,” the spokesman said.
There is no specific timeline for the PLRB to make any decisions, which depend on factors such as the timeliness of responses, the availability of parties, the complexity of the issues, and other scheduling considerations, he said.
In order to request an election, the union had to have signatures from at least 30 percent of the eligible staff. The faculty union, which was finally approved by voters in October 2021, faced several hurdles before that, including multiple hearings before the PLRB to determine bargaining unit eligibility.
There are approximately 8,000 full-time staff members at Pitt, but it is unclear how many of those would be in the union bargaining unit. Pitt’s administration has said that it respects the right of employees to decide whether or not to choose a union.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.