Contact: Cheyenne Schoen, cschoen@usw.org, (412) 562-2446
(Pittsburgh) – Approximately 100 veterinary technicians and assistants, medical receptionists, animal caretakers and behavioralists, grant writers, educators, wildlife rehabilitators and other staff at the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) today announced that they filed for a union election on July 24 as they seek to join the United Steelworkers (USW) union.
The group of workers are now seeking a formal vote through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), organizing for fair pay, job security, transparent communication and increased emotional and mental health support for workers, among other advancements.
“HARP's leadership frequently and loudly expresses to its employees how important our work is, yet this apparent appreciation is not adequately reflected in our pay or benefits,” said Sharif Khan, a Wildlife Rehabilitator at HARP.
“We seek a union not only to strengthen our position when advocating for ourselves or the hundreds of animals in our care,” Khan said, “but to give us a firm voice with which to help steer the organization towards success.”
By filing for a certification election, the workers look to create a collective bargaining unit comprising HARP’s North Side and East Side shelters and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Verona, Pa.
“We’re organizing a union because the people doing the frontline work to care for the animals aren’t given the resources needed to do those difficult jobs to the best of their abilities,” said HARP Development Specialist Frank Groth. “We work in many different roles across the organization, but what we all need is a voice in the decisions that affect us every day.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.