Workers at Pittsburgh’s health care giant, UPMC, have been fighting for higher wages, lower health insurance rates, and the right to unionization for years. And this resolve appeared to only get stronger during the pandemic, as health care workers became over taxed as the weight of the country fell on their shoulders.
On Nov. 2, UPMC officials appeared to respond to that as they announced slight wage increases. Entry salaries will rise to $15.75 an hour in January and $500 bonuses were given to every employee on Nov. 26.
However, hundreds of workers were not satisfied. Some called the increase a “slap in the face to all workers.” And on Nov. 18, UPMC workers from several hospitals in the area held a one-day strike, calling for higher wages, the right to unionization without interference, and other demands.
Scores of clinical staff, like surgery techs and certified nursing assistants, and non-clinical employees, including food service and transportation workers, walked out and gathered outside the U.S. Steel Tower in Downtown Pittsburgh, headquarters of UPMC. The workers demanded UPMC raise its minimum wage to $20 an hour, provide affordable high-quality health care to its employees, eliminate all medical debt for workers, and let workers unionize without any corporate interference.
Although the workers are not unionized, they are allowed to do a one-day strike, as labor actions are protected under federal law. Medical workers were required to give a 10-day notice, and...
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