Just shy 4 years ago, another graduate worker union drive has begun at the University of Pittsburgh

Last time, they came close — as in 39 votes shy in an election to secure union representation.

Now, four years later, more than 2,000 graduate student workers at the University of Pittsburgh, including teaching and research assistants, are vying anew to join the United Steelworkers.

A card-signing campaign initiated in recent days comes amid discontent over issues on campus including sharp increases recently in health insurance costs.

An electronic petition posted to the Pitt Graduate Workers Union website has collected about 1,500 signatures so far. It bemoans the insurance costs and urges Pitt’s new chancellor, Joan Gabel, to act.

“Pitt’s administration has just raised Pitt’s graduate worker health insurance costs by 400%-600% above the costs that were in place when we accepted our appointments,” it reads. “There was no prior notification or consultation before these increases were made.

“These health care increases are hitting some of the lowest-paid employees at the University of Pittsburgh, and ultimately requiring us to make decisions about spending money on health care or other living expenses,” the petition added.

A page on Pitt’s website points to emergency assistance and meal funding for those students.

Budgetary stresses in higher education appear to be as severe, and perhaps more so, than during the last graduate student organizing drive at Pitt, which went to a vote in spring 2019.

Since then, the pandemic and its aftereffects have scrambled campus enrollment and employment patterns. Public skepticism over tuition prices and student debt have compounded doubts among some about the worth of a college degree.

At Pitt, other classroom workers already have voted for collective bargaining.

About 3,000 faculty members in Oakland and on Pitt’s four regional branches are now represented by the Steelworkers and negotiating toward their first contract. Staff at the university with 34,000 students also are attempting to join that union.

Jess Kamm, a spokeswoman for the Steelworkers, confirmed the new effort Friday that initially involves the card campaign. A minimum of 30% of the potential bargaining unit must declare their desire to be represented by signing a card.

Pitt grad workers began collecting union authorization cards this week in hopes of securing an election, she said. It would be supervised by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

“The goals in organizing include a voice in the workplace on issues like wages and working conditions, including parental leave, hours of work and the means to enforce the policies and protections that exist, Kamm said Friday.

“They are, obviously, also concerned about the abrupt changes to their health care benefits, which were recently replaced with a significantly more expensive plan,” she added.