Duquesne University Police Officers Go on Strike over Contract Negotiations
Duquesne University police officers and security personnel have gone on strike after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
The union’s contract expired in October 2022, and since then, the union and university officials have held 19 bargaining sessions.
However, a last-ditch effort to come to a tentative agreement failed.
The union, Teamsters Local 249, cited wages, retirement, healthcare, and seniority as key issues, as well as safety concerns in light of recent incidents on other campuses.
The strike means that all 28 officers who patrol the campus will not be present to protect students.
The university has offered a compensation package that it says is among the most generous in higher education in the region.
However, the union claims that the offer is in bad faith and demands to be paid for the work that they do.
The university has assured that the police chief has plans to keep the campus safe and maintain normal activities, but did not provide specific details.
The officers are expected to picket outside the campus, and the situation remains unresolved.
