April 2, 2024
For Immediate Release
Contact: Suzy Wurtz, suzy.wurtz@seiuhcpa.org, 717-663-9607
Pittsburgh, PA – Today union members from Allegheny General, Allegheny Valley, and Washington, and Frick hospitals held a press conference to demand $20 and up for all the region’s hospital workers ahead of contract negotiations for 1,800 service and clerical employees.
The call for $20 and up follows a series of labor activity on the national stage. With workers across different sectors organizing for better working conditions and wages, including here in Pennsylvania, workers in Pittsburgh are hoping to continue the trend. “When we raise wages in our most dominant industry, we pull the rest of our region’s economy with us. Twenty dollars and up is how we rebuild the middle class in Pittsburgh and make it truly the most livable city for the workers who run it.” says Armand Kassam, a patient care tech at Allegheny General Hospital.
At the press conference, union members from the hospitals, joined by Congresswoman Summer Lee, Rep. Aerion Abney, and other leaders throughout the region, addressed the impact of low pay on hospital patients and workers’ families.
Several members spoke about their experiences working in one of the largest healthcare networks in Allegheny County, and expressed how difficult it was to have a decent standard of living with their current rate of pay. Lauren DeMeno, who works as a patient care tech at Allegheny Valley Hospital, talked about her experience as a working parent.
“Working people are struggling in this economy. I’m a working mom trying to support a family. My kids and I are grateful to have a home in a walkable community in the Pittsburgh area. But despite working at a hospital owned by a multi-billion-dollar corporation, I am still not able to afford health insurance for my family. And most of the time, I don’t have money left over after paying for groceries and housing costs to afford the home repairs we need, much less save for college tuition or pay for a vacation with my kids.”
The contributions that service and clerical workers make to public health and safety are indispensable. From infection prevention to patient experience, service and clerical workers contribute to the overall success of our health systems, despite their crucial work often going unnoticed and unrecognized. They also face similar recruitment and retention challenges as their clinical colleagues, and they face many barriers to be able to advance in their careers as healthcare professionals.
However, union healthcare workers have hope for better staffing rates. Since union nurses at AGH won a major contract victory last year, the hospital has been able to begin filling more positions.
Congresswoman Summer Lee reiterated her support for union members in Pittsburgh. “These healthcare heroes keep our economy afloat, and they also keep our families and community afloat. They care for our most vulnerable. Their employer must care for them.”