Reps. Frankel and Abney condemn UPMC’s attempt to block union vote for Magee nurses
Call on UPMC to respect workers’ rights and allow a free and fair election
Rep. Dan B. Frankel July 7, 2025 | 2:27 PM
HARRISBURG, July 7 – Today, state Rep. Dan Frankel, chair of the Pennsylvania House Health Committee, and Rep. Aerion A. Abney, chair of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation, issued the following joint statement in response to UPMC’s apparent efforts to prevent nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital from voting in a union election, and UPMC’s failure to engage with local legislators seeking to safeguard a fair election process:
“Magee nurses are the frontline healthcare professionals that Southwestern Pennsylvania relies on for some of our most critical and complex medical needs. They treat cancer patients, deliver our babies, care for our sickest newborns, and provide many other essential services.
“These nurses go above and beyond to deliver high-quality care. But they’ve told us they’re working without the staffing and resources necessary to provide the care their patients deserve. That’s why they’ve come together — not just for themselves, but for all of us — to advocate for better conditions and ensure that frontline voices are heard in decisions too often made solely by insurance and hospital executives.
“Instead of respecting that decision, UPMC is trying to block these nurses from exercising their fundamental right to vote in a union election. That is unacceptable. UPMC falsely claims that a lack of quorum at the National Labor Relations Board prevents the election from moving forward. In fact, the local NLRB office is fully authorized to conduct union elections — a fact confirmed by legal precedent and recent congressional testimony from the Board’s former General Counsel.
“UPMC is also trying to disqualify hundreds of nurses from voting by labeling them ‘charge nurses’ — as if helping coordinate care disqualifies them from having a voice. Let’s be clear: charge nurses do not hire or fire staff. They are union members at hospitals across Pennsylvania, including Allegheny General, West Penn, and even UPMC Western Psychiatric.
“On July 2, members of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation requested a meeting with UPMC regarding these disturbing reports of union-busting. UPMC has yet to accept or even acknowledge that request, deepening worries among those of us determined to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure top-tier patient care.
“We cannot and will not allow anyone to strip Magee nurses of their right to a voice in their workplace — not in Pittsburgh, not in Pennsylvania, and not in the United States. Anti-union campaigns don’t just silence workers — they divert resources from patient care and erode public trust in our healthcare system.
“UPMC must allow a free and fair election — without legal maneuvers, delays, or intimidation. We stand with the nurses and will continue fighting to ensure their rights are protected.”
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