The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
January 27, 2016 | Issue 93 | Volume 106
FIRE BURNS OAKLAND PARKING GARAGE Dale Shoemaker News Editor
Controlled Chaos, a hip-hop group at Pitt, performed at the Campus Women’s Organization Condom Casino Tuesday night in the O’Hara Student Center Ballroom. Nikki Moriello | Senior Staff Photographer
FACULTY, GRAD EMPLOYEES LAUNCH UNION PUSH Lauren Rosenblatt Assistant News Editor
Pitt faculty and graduate student employees formally announced Tuesday morning their plans to start a campaign to form multiple labor unions. Partnering with United Steelworkers, an organization that has helped Point Park University and Robert Morris University unionize, faculty and graduate student representatives announced at a press conference on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. that their campaign was officially underway. USW has been organizing two sep-
arate campaigns for the faculty and graduate employees at Pitt, but Tuesday marked the launch of both groups’ efforts. For the faculty and graduate employees to unionize, they must first gauge the level of interest on campus to form a union then apply through the Pennsylvania Labor Board to hold a union election. If more than 30 percent of both faculty and graduate employees sign cards of interest, USW will apply to hold an election at Pitt. Then, a simple majority of those eligible must vote to form a union. The union at Pitt then has the right
to collectively bargain for a labor contract with the University. At Pitt, 5,281 faculty members and about 3,000 graduate students are eligible to sign interest cards, though the Labor Board will decide who is eligible to vote in a union election. Maria Somma, an organizer from United Steelworkers, said the faculty and graduate student employees are a long way from sending out cards for the campaign and are still in the process of spreading awareness. Pitt spokesperson Ken Service said Pitt would work with the faculty and See Union on page 3
A one-alarm fire has caused damage to a management office in an Oakland parking garage. Two fire units responded to a call about the blaze at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday after a security guard on duty noticed the blaze. Fire crews were able to contain the blaze to the level two office. No one was injured, and it is unclear what started the fire. The garage, which is located on the 200 block of Meyran Avenue, showed damage on an outer wall on the side facing Semple Street. Inside the structure, unidentifiable burnt remains and an incinerated office chair could be seen outside the office. Inside the level two office, the fire burned away the insulation on the walls, destroyed all furniture inside and broke the window, which faced Semple Street. On the first level, another office directly below the burned one was partially flooded with water from the fire hoses. The lower office served as storage for road salt. A Pittsburgh Parking Authority employee who was on the scene shortly after fire crews had put the fire out declined to comment on the blaze. A representative from the Authority could not be reached by phone Tuesday evening. Shortly after 5 p.m., Dave Melani from Fire Water Response 360, a company that assesses and fixes fire, water and smoke damage, arrived at the garage to assess the damage. Melani declined to give an estimate on the damage.