The graduate student employees at the University of Pittsburgh will soon have the opportunity to vote for union representation. After years of hard work, it's time to finally come together and speak to the university with one collective voice. Vote union yes!
Over a million Americans who worked their whole lives and deferred wages for retirement security are now at risk of losing their pensions. Thanks to a perfect storm of the Great Recession, changing industries, unbalanced trade policies, and other factors outside of our control, these so-called multi-employer pensions plans are at risk of going bankrupt unless Congress takes action.
Members of USW Local Unions 2900 and 4487 manufactured a wide range of products at John Inglis Co.: washers, dryers, water heaters and other household appliances; kitchen utensils; large industrial equipment, even fishing rods. At its height, more than 17,000 United Steelworkers at Inglis made Bren guns for the WWII war effort. For more than 50 years, our union improved the lives of the thousands of workers who passed through the company’s doors -- and improved the lives of all those in the Toronto area. The union at Inglis also produced some of labor's most impactful leaders. USW International President Lynn Williams was a worker at Inglis on the water heater line during the late 1940s and a life-long, dues-paying member. International President Leo W. Gerard represented the locals as a staff rep during the 1970s and 1980s during some of their toughest fights. In November 1989, the John Inglis Company’s workers made their last products. But the wonderful memories of Locals 2900 and 4487 and their members will last forever.
The Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC) will host our #AskaGrad Webinar Q&A this Monday, Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. to discuss the graduate student employee unionization effort both nationally and at Pitt. The panel will feature several members of GSOC as well as our special guest for the week, a graduate student employee union member from Yale University. You can submit questions to our panelists prior to the event via email at info@pittgradunion.org and on our Twitter page @PittGrads by using the hashtag #AskaGrad.
US Congressional Representative of Pennsylvania's 2nd district Brendan Boyle talks about why constituents reaching out to members of congress is still an important cornerstone of our democracy.
Pitt Graduate Student Employee Anika Jugovic-Spajic, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, shares why she is involved in organizing a grad union at Pitt.
