Rich Schiavoni

Who does your local represent?

We represent over 4,000 faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, Point Park University, and Robert Morris University.

Why is it so important for workers in education to have a union?

With all the changes that we’re dealing with coming out of D.C., we’re seeing a lot of research faculty face drastic cuts, we’re seeing attacks on free speech. Our members are going to have to fight back for academic freedom. I always say, higher ed is my sector and students are my product. Truth was always the thing I was pushing. RIght now, that’s more important than ever.

What makes you proud to be in a union?

I come from a union family. I grew up in Pittsburgh, and my grandfather and all of his brothers worked in the mills, so I grew up hearing about how good the union was. When times got tough, the union was there to take care of them. The local where my pap worked made sure every single member had gifts for their kids at Christmas, made sure everyone had a turkey for Thanksgiving. To be part of that legacy is really important to me.

What does “All In” mean to you?

I think of fully committing myself to this, being all in on education. It means I’m going to help build a legacy and my students will take that forward. For our local, it means long days, it means working in labs, choreographing shows, taking care of your families. Our members do it all.