Reps. Pisciottano, Miller and organized labor celebrate ‘Union Organizing Week’ with major rally at PA Capitol
Labor leaders, members pack Capitol ahead of state budget
Rep. Nick Pisciottano June 25, 2024 | 4:15 PM
HARRISBURG, June 25 – In celebration of Pennsylvania’s storied labor history and in light of increasing interest in labor organizing by workers across social strata, lawmakers, union organizers and labor members held a rally Tuesday, June 25 at the Pennsylvania Capitol to recognize ‘Union Organizing Week’ in the state.
The event gathered hundreds of labor members and leaders from across the commonwealth to the Capitol, including those involved in recent efforts to unionize the University of Pittsburgh workforce and other large organizations. In 2023, Pennsylvania had 749,000 union members in 2023, accounting for 12.9% of wage and salary workers in Pennsylvania.
“Seeing so many passionate labor advocates here at our state Capitol today is evidence that support for Pennsylvania’s working class remains strong,” said Pisciottano, D-Allegheny. “My colleagues and I on the House Labor and Industry Committee are fully dedicated to pursuing policies that protect workers’ right to collectively bargain and organize a union in Pennsylvania. We refuse to let employers get away with using illegal, union busting tactics.”
Support for unions is continuing to grow. In 2023 the AFL-CIO released a poll showing support for union work across ages and political lines, with 88% of people under 30 viewing unions favorably and 71% of Americans saying they support unions.
“We do this because, for decades now, there’ve been organizations out there trying to make people believe that organizing is a bad thing, that workers’ rights should be discarded, and that the labor battles of years prior don’t matter. Nothing is further from the truth,” said Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny, and majority whip. “We want to bring everybody up. This isn’t about one union, or one sector of the economy. It’s about a movement across the board. It’s about achieving that American dream for everybody and leaving no one behind.”