MEET OUR BARGAINING
COMMITTEE

(She/Her)
Physics & Astronomy
5th Year
TA

I am running for the Bargaining Committee to work towards a contract that ensures fair pay, promotes equitable work conditions, and protects the agency and dignity of all grad workers. I have been involved in organizing for the past year to help us win our union, and I am excited to continue the work to ensure that our collective needs are met and that we achieve the strong contact that we deserve.

(She/They)
Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy
2nd Year
GSR

I am a second-year Education Policy Ph.D. student with a masters in Higher Education. Before my studies at Pitt, I worked as a Graduate Administrator at the Dietrich School for Arts and Sciences for 5 years, using a student-centered practice. I started building a union at an internationally recognized tech company. Before my departure, we were collecting names to hold a vote. I spoke with and made graphics to help all international and U.S. employees understand their rights, common scare tactics, & duplicitous arguments. I come from a union-strong family, so I am enthusiastic about representing my fellow graduate students.

(He/Him)
English
3rd Year
TA

I am an international student in the English department, and I have been organizing with the Pitt Graduate Workers Union for the past three years. When working on our card campaigns and the union election, I listened to fellow workers share their department-specific concerns about compensation and work environment. And I have seen ways Pitt could ease the challenge of immigration, as other unionized universities have done for their international student and scholar community through resources like legal consultation and travel grant. Pitt works because we work. I believe that our lives can be improved, and I believe in seeing it through.

(She/They)
GSPH-Epidemiology
Spring 2025
GSR

I am an international student and a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) at the School of Public Health. I came to the U.S. in 2017 to pursue graduate studies, and over the past seven years, I have experienced firsthand challenges and dilemmas in the graduate school system that are unique to international students. I want to represent my colleagues, in particular, amplifying the voices of fellow international graduate workers. My advocacy will focus on key issues such as acculturation, immigration support, diversity and inclusion, health insurance, housing, and affordable living.

(She/Her)
GSPIA
AY24-25
TA

I'd like to be on the bargaining committee because I have experience in labor law and knowledge of the issues that are most pressing to my coworkers. As an intern in the Fair Labor Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office, I learned a lot about the wide variety, and about the wide variety of concerns workers across sectors have when it comes to their wellbeing in and outside the workplace. My experience in this office equipped me with knowledge about the types of protections a union can provide to its workers, and I was able to hear from several labor leaders about the contract negotiation process over time. As an organizer on the grad union organizing committee, I have spoken with hundreds of my coworkers since 2022, hearing their stories and learning about the ways they feel unprotected in the workplace or have been harmed by having no say in their wages, benefits, or working conditions (especially since our healthcare was stripped a year and a half ago). As a member of the bargaining committee, I feel that I am in a strong position to work with the other members to bring my coworkers' concerns to the table and win a strong contract that addresses them.

(He/Him)
Economics
2nd Year
GSA

As a member of the Graduate Workers Organizing Committee since my first days at Pitt, I am proud to have fought for our union from filing to victory. Along the way, I spoke to many of you about your working conditions, counted all of the votes in our union election, and have used my platform as the elected GSO Economics President to advocate for students’ rights. If I earn your vote, I am committed to pushing for a strong contract that ensures a fair and equitable workplace for all grad workers. I believe that my combination of strategic thinking, attention to detail, and economics skills will be invaluable at the bargaining table. Healthcare is a top bargaining priority for me, as I have had adverse experiences with outrageous copays under Pitt insurance. It is long past time for us to have a contract that reflects the highly specialized and important work that we do every day.

(She/Her)
Computational Biology-Bio Sci
3rd Year
GSR

As a computational graduate student involved in the BGSA I have built strong connections with graduate students across the diverse departments of the School of Medicine. I actively organized voters in multiple departments including Immunology and Computational Biology, serving as a reliable point of contact for the union. I am passionate about securing a strong first contract that establishes a solid foundation for our union and am committed to continuing to be a dedicated and effective voice for all graduate workers.

(She/Her)
Social Work
2nd Year
GSA

I am excited to be a candidate (and potential representative) for our bargaining committee to represent graduate workers across campus. If elected, I will work to secure a contract that reflects the needs of all of us: better pay, health insurance, working conditions and protections, and international student support, among other concerns important to you. However, at the core of this effort is my commitment to have our voices heard and honored throughout contract negotiations. When I represent you at the table, I bring my experience in organizing alongside you for our union and my experiences in grassroots and political organizing. These included running for a seat on the 15th Ward Democratic Committee and managing a youth-led campaign in Virginia, where I worked with students across the state, resulting in the passage of a state law. My passion for policy, worker voice, and labor rights also influences my academic research. Specifically, I study gaps labor and employment law gaps and how the impact of sectoral initiatives and the policies passed enhance worker voice and well-being. If elected, I will bring my experience and perception that while policies shape our lives, our voices should shape those policies. I am committed to fighting for a robust contract that remedies our concerns and results in substantial protections and advancement for all graduate workers.

(She/Her)
Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
3rd Year
GSR

My name is Lauren Wewer, a 3rd year PhD student in Materials Science Engineering. I joined our union’s organizing committee two years ago because I saw how overworked, underpaid, and mistreated grad workers are at Pitt. As an organizer who helped win our union, I believe that through collective bargaining we can build a framework for fair wages, better working conditions, and protections and resources for international grad workers. After hundreds of conversations with our coworkers, I know I can effectively advocate for our shared interests at the bargaining table so that we can secure a strong first contract.