Riding on our justice bus from Pittsburgh to Philly as I write this. The Service Employee Union mobilized thousands of their members and activists, other unions including us from 1199, clergy, and all kinds of people of goodwill to stand up to Pittsburgh’s biggest employer, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The workers at the giant non-profit medical monstrosity are demanding pay raises so that no one makes less than $15 an hour. They're also demanding the right to form a union free of intimidation, termination, and retaliation. They want the workers’ medical debts from the facilities where they work forgiven, and they want better health insurance.
Anyone with good sense realizes these demands would be great for the medical monster UPMC, the City of Pittsburgh, the workers, and America.
And all of us should realize three days of demonstrations for these demands is just the kind of thing people of goodwill, workers, and unions should be doing everywhere.
SEIU’s Three Days of Change come to a close on the heels of the Pennsylvania labor movement’s takeover of the State Capitol, when thousands of people raised their voices to stop the Koch boys attempts to destroy public sector unions and break the political back of labor.
The Days of Change began Sunday night at the Steelworker’s building with a combination rally, briefing, and celebration.
The meat of the Three Days began at 7am on Monday with temperatures below zero when thousands of us marched to the offices of UPMC, where we rallied and picketed in the freezing cold until mid afternoon. The high temp was about ten. The rally brought out scores of elected officials and clergy of all faith, a sharp reminder of the basic justice of the workers’ demands, and the value of the organizing to all of Pennsylvania.
Now is not the time to stop organizing and mobilizing. Now is the time to step up our work of drawing others into our righteous fights for justice. Now is the time to raise hell in the streets and demand a shared prosperity and an economy that works for all! Now is the time to demand that employers treat their workers and their customers and clients justly.
Photo source: Twitter.com/SEIU