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‘May Day’ event held among UPMC workers, elected leaders

PITTSBURGH — University of Pittsburgh Medical Center workers joined state and city leaders for a “May Day” forum in downtown Pittsburgh on Monday.

The employees and elected officials criticized the healthcare giant, with workers claiming that they continue to bear the brunt of a staffing crisis that’s worsened since the start of the pandemic.

“UPMC discovered that they can maximize profits by keeping us understaffed and underpaid,” said Registered Nurse Jodi Falton. “We’ve been deemed essential workers, yet we’ve been treated as disposable.”

Administrative Assistant Nila Payton told attendees that she receives her health insurance through UPMC and is drowning in medical debt.

“I’m working at UPMC while getting calls from UPMC Collections telling me that I owe UPMC money,” Payton said. “Something is very wrong with a system where you can spend all day helping to provide quality healthcare to people in your communities and then not be able to stay healthy yourself.”

Workers spoke out despite what State Rep. Sara Innamorato called a “culture” of fear and retaliation at UPMC, while claiming the health system has a history of labor violations.

Innamorato called the system a monopoly, stating that it employes 76% of all hospital employees in Pittsburgh.

“UPMC uses this market power to depress wages, degrade working conditions, extract money from the public,” the representative said.

Channel 11 reached out to a UPMC spokesperson who sent us the following points:

“-UPMC recently announced that we are moving to $18 per hour for our non-union Pittsburgh-area workforce by 2025. This is the highest entry-level of any health care provider in the state.

-Not only is UPMC advancing wages for the region, but we are among the best places to work for these jobs, due to our wages and our above-industry employee benefits, which are designed to support our employees and their families.

-UPMC added first-dollar health care coverage, through the introduction of HRAs, for our employees making less than $18.04 per hour or about $37,500 per year. For 2023, we added HRAs for our employees making up to around $75,000 per year to help offset these same costs.

-UPMC was the first health care organization in PA to offer Paid Parental Leave and among the first to offer backup/emergency daycare for our workforce

-UPMC’s health care premiums are often half of what other health systems in the area charge.

-UPMC also provides an important role in the community for those without college degrees. UPMC provides careers that allow individuals to come to UPMC in entry level roles, and utilizing our career ladders, support systems, and tuition assistance programs they can go as far as they would like in advancing themselves. Tuition assistance is also offered for dependent children and spouses/partners.

- UPMC recently announced that we are moving to $18 per hour for our Pittsburgh-area non-union workforce by 2025. This is the highest entry-level of any health care provider in the state.

-UPMC’s average wage is more than $78,000. There are no other employers of size and scope in the regions UPMC serves that provide good paying jobs at every level and an average wage of this magnitude.”

Mayor Ed Gainey, after listening to the workers, said that more needs to be done. He said “quality health care begins” when workers feel “appreciated and rewarded.”

Gainey previously announced that he was challenging the tax-exempt status of certain organizations, including UPMC.

Channel 11 asked Gainey on Monday where those efforts stand. He told us the city is awaiting a ruling on the matter. We asked what other action the city is considering in response to the workers’ claims. He said that leaders are continuing to look at the situation.

Channel 11 also asked Rep. Innamorato what action state leaders are considering.

“Session after session we’ve introduced a safe staffing bill that would create ratios for our health care workers to patients, so we could ensure safety and ensure a healthier workplace,” Rep. Innamorato said. “That has not gone anywhere. We hope to get it to the governor’s desk this session.”

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