Point Park’s full-time faculty union protest stalled contract negotiations 

by Gavin Petrone

“Brussalis! Tell us! Do you value us!”  

That was the chant that rang down Wood Street as Point Park’s full-time faculty union, represented by Newsguild Local 38061, protested alongside university President Chris Brussalis’s inauguration parade Friday. 

Donning bold red shirts that read, “Contract now!,” the union spread itself evenly along the sidewalk between Third and Fourth avenues in hopes of resuming stalled contract negotiations with university administrators. 

The protest lasted for about 20 minutes and then finished with a brief rally among participants in Point Park’s Village Park. 

A majority of the crowd were not full-time faculty, but students, community members and other Newspaper Guild members standing in solidarity with the demonstrating faculty. 

Riley Mahon, a sophomore political science major and student government representative, said he was thrilled with the student turnout. 

“I am a strong supporter of collective bargaining rights,” Mahon said. “I think it’s a really good thing to see so many people working here have solidarity and care for each other.”. 

Faculty union frustrated with slow contract bargaining process 

Full-time faculty protestors began rallying students around 2 p.m., roughly half an hour before Brussalis’s inauguration parade was due to start. 

Karen Dwyer, a professor of creative writing and lead negotiator for the Newsguild, said negotiating teams are stalled on wage increases. 

“We haven’t even made it to 3%, and they’re saying there’s not enough money,” Dwyer said. 

Dwyer added that peer universities of Point Park pay their administrative figures substantially less in comparison. 

She cited both Robert Morris University (RMU) and Slippery Rock University (SRU) as examples of this payment difference. RMU and SRU, like Point Park, file under 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, so compensation information for leading administrators is public. 

SRU’s highest compensated figure was Edward Bucha, executive director, who was paid $146,404 in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. 

RMU’s President Michelle Patrick was its highest paid, receiving compensation of $524,988 in that fiscal year. 

Point Park paid former president Paul Hennigan $868,293 cumulatively in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.  

“We’re not asking for anything gratuitous,” Dwyer said. “We’re asking to be acknowledged in our work and we’re asking for our wages to reflect what the work is that we do.” 

“None of this works without us. I don’t mean that as a threat, I mean that as a statement of reality,” Dwyer said. 

Lou Corsaro, Point Park’s assistant vice president of public relations, said this figure was a result of deferred compensation paid to Hennigan as part of a retirement agreement. 

“The payment of deferred compensation does not constitute a new payment by the University but a series of payments made over the final years of Dr. Hennigan’s 20 years of service to the University,” Corsaro said, “This type of deferred compensation is a common practice in higher education and other sectors, designed to recognize long standing service and contributions.” 

Also in attendance was Richard Schiavoni, a political science professor and president of United Steelworkers Local 1088, which represents part-time faculty at Point Park. 

He attended the protest in solidarity with the full-time faculty union. 

“I think every worker is entitled to a fair contract, especially higher education workers that without them the university doesn’t function,” Schiavoni said. 

Administrators held a brief reception dinner before the inauguration parade. Demonstrating full-time faculty called it a bad move. 

Dwight Hines, a professor in the School of Arts and Sciences and negotiator for the union, said he was frustrated with the reception dinner held ahead of the inauguration. 

“They just had a fancy feed inside that we could see and couldn’t touch because we weren’t invited,” Hines said. “The average faculty were not invited. I think it really stinks and it’s really kind of tone deaf.” 

Hines said he thinks the protest will push negotiations in favor of the union. 

“It’s easy to interpret it either way, pessimistically or optimistically,” Hines said, “but, I’ve done this three times now and at this point it tends to work out.” 

Negotiations have been held for around five months, according to a statement released by the Newsguild.  

The next bargaining session between the faculty union and administration will take place Friday, Sept. 27, according to Pittsburgh Union Progress. 

When asked if he thought a deal would be reached anytime soon between administration and faculty negotiators, Lou Corsaro said, “We continue to negotiate in good faith with our full-time faculty.”