Author Archives: Maria Montano

Inside the Fast for Our Future – Leslie Poston

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UPMC Worker Leslie Poston visits with her grandchildren during the Fast for Our Future.

UPMC Worker Leslie Poston visits with her grandchildren during the Fast for Our Future.


Hundreds of community members have shown their support for the UPMC workers who are fasting to help UPMC find its moral compass. Yesterday, teachers from the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, Rev. Darryl Canady, and students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine came to the tent to visit, pray, and talk about how important it is for the city to be united in support of the workers who are fighting for the middle-class.

 One brave UPMC faster that the students from the Pitt School of Medicine met with is Leslie Poston. Leslie works on the heart and lung transplant floor of UPMC Presbyterian. For the past 10 years, she has made sure that her floor runs smoothly so her patients can receive the best possible care. Leslie is one of many UPMC employees who works full time hours and tries to live on only $350 a week. She works as much overtime as she can, but still has to use food banks to help feed herself and her family.
Leslie says she is fasting because she believes that someone who works full time and does a good job at a $10 billion global company shouldn’t be in poverty and should be able to join the middle class.

VIDEO: Watch Leslie as she meets with students from the Pitt School of Medicine

Show your support for Leslie and all the UPMC workers. Come visit them today or any day this week on Grant Street in front of the Steel Tower. You can also leave a message of support on the Fast for Our Future Support Line by calling (412)330-1198. Post your support to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – include the hashtags #UPMCWorkers and #Fast4OurFuture.

Together we can Make it Our UPMC.

 

Fast for Our Future – Statement of Principles

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Fast Logo WebOn Friday April 11th, UPMC workers began a week long fast in front of UPMC Headquarters to help shine a light on the injustices many of them are facing at Pittsburgh’s largest employer.

Fast For Our Future – Statement of Principles

  • We are UPMC workers. Our fast is an act of fortitude and unity.
  • We know hardship. We are accustomed to hardship created by not making enough to cover the basics.
  • We stand strong and determined in our decision to fast from Friday, April 11, to Friday, April 18, to call on UPMC to find the moral compass that brought the healthcare giant into charity work in the first place.
  • We seek a future where UPMC’s power and wealth are used to create a strong and healthy Pittsburgh.
  • We have faith that UPMC’s growing success can drive a more socially just Pittsburgh where all our communities enjoy economic security and good health.
  • We are proud of the quality of our work and believe that we can work with UPMC – not just for UPMC – in delivering quality care. To do this, we must have workplace rights, dignity, respect, and a valued voice on the job.
  • We embrace the great diversity of people and traditions in Pittsburgh and we ask for your support and participation throughout our fast.

Tell the Fasters That You Stand With Them!
There are three easy ways for you to let the UPMC Workers know that you support them and that you are together with them in the fight for a united voice for UMPC employees:
1. Visit the fasters on Grant St. and write a message of support in their message book
2. Leave a voice-mail for the fasters at (412) 330-1198
3. Post your support to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – include the hashtags#UPMCWorkers and #Fast4OurFuture

UPMC workers begin fasting to protest low wages

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There are lots of things that Chaney Lewis could be doing while he’s on vacation from his job at UPMC, where he works in patient transport. But he won’t be taking a trip, or even just vegging out on the couch. Instead he’ll be publicly fasting to draw attention to the plight of workers seeking to unionize at UPMC.
 

UPMC workers begin fasting to protest low wages

 

Fast for Our Future

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Starting on Friday April 11th, UPMC workers will begin a week-long fast in front of UPMC headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh to help shine a light on the injustice many of them are facing at Pittsburgh’s largest employer.
Many UPMC workers are in a constant state of hardship, because they are not getting paid what it costs to live in Pittsburgh. A recent study shows that service workers at UPMC earn up to 30% less than what is needed to support their families.
Josh Malloy works hard every day to makes sure the emergency room at UPMC Mercy is clean and sterile, yet he has to work 60 hour weeks just to cover his basic expenses. UPMC is holding thousands of workers like Josh back from joining the middle class, and it’s holding back our entire community.
In this time of hope and reflection, UPMC workers organized the Fast for Our Future as a call to help UPMC find the moral compass as a charity and healthcare provider. In a public tent on Grant Street, fasting UPMC workers will be joined throughout the week by a number of faith leaders from various denominations and community supporters who will fast to show their solidarity. They will be attended by doctors and nurses from the community.

  • WHAT: Vigil to begin seven-day Fast for Our Future
  • WHO: UPMC workers, members of the clergy, community members
  • WHEN: 12:30pm, Friday April 11 – Friday, April 18
  • WHERE: USX Tower/UPMC Headquarters

Support the fast:
Tell the Fasters That You Stand With Them!
There are three easy ways for you to let the fasters know that you support them and that you are together with them in the fight for a united voice for UMPC employees:
1. Visit the fasters on Grant St. and write a message of support in their message book
2. Leave a voice-mail for the fasters at (412) 330-1198
3. Post your support to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – include the hashtags #UPMCWorkers and #Fast4OurFuture

UPMC Workers Fight For Good Jobs Gets National Attention

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DoC pic Grant smWe made big news in Pittsburgh last month as 2000 of us stood with the workers of UPMC, taking their demands for better wages, the elimination of their medical debt, and the right to form a union without harassment directly to UPMC headquarters.
And that news has traveled across the nation. It is the story of a powerful employer keeping workers in poverty and retaliating against them for trying to form a union in the new economy that is much bigger than Pittsburgh. UPMC workers are at the center of the fight in this country to end low-wage work and get the economy moving again.
Read the full story here: A Union Aims at Pittsburgh’s Biggest Employer

NYT reporter Steve Greenhouse writes:

“Christoria Hughes earns $12.85 an hour after six years as a food-service worker at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. ‘That sounds good on paper, but when you bring it home, it’s less than $350 a week,’ said Ms. Hughes, who has money deducted for health insurance and is helping to raise several granddaughters. ‘UPMC claims they pay everybody these fantastic wages. It’s not enough to live in Pittsburgh.’”

UPMC made $1.3 billion in profits in the last three years, yet UPMC workers – Pittsburghers like you and me – who dedicate years to keeping the hospital running, not only do not take home enough to make ends meet, many are on public assistance and in medical debt to their own employer.
As the region’s largest employer, UPMC sets the tone for jobs and the economy. It can strengthen and grow the middle class.
In the article, Mayor Peduto says:

“It’s the largest employer in the state of Pennsylvania. They have the means to help their workers break the cycle of poverty and join the middle class. They probably have more of an ability to do that than any other entity.” 

We are at the center of the fight in this country to end low-wage work and get the economy moving again. The community – people from all corners of the Pittsburgh region, faith leaders, elected officials, UPMC workers – is standing in solidarity for good jobs here.
For a strong and healthy Pittsburgh, it’s past time for UPMC to put people over profits.

NLRB asks federal judge to force UPMC to produce documents in unfair labor practices complaint

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The National Labor Relations Board has asked a federal judge to force UPMC to turn over documents relating to whether or not UPMC is a single-employer and not merely a holding company with no employees as the non-profit corporation contends.
 
NLRB asks federal judge to force UPMC to produce documents in unfair labor practices complaint