Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh workers file for union election
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh on Tuesday announced that approximately 100 veterinary technicians and assistants, medical receptionists, animal caretakers, behavioralists, grant writers, educators, wildlife rehabilitators, and other staff members agreed to file for a union election on July 24, 2023, as they look to join the United Steelworkers union.
Workers are seeking a formal vote through the National Labor Relations Board, looking to organize for fair pay, job security, transparent communication, and increased emotional and mental health support, a press release said.
"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."
The workers hope to create a collective bargaining unit for the organization's North Side and East Side shelters, as well as the 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."
