Workers at refugee organization Hello Neighbor in Pittsburgh seek to unionize

Workers at the Larimer-based nonprofit Hello Neighbor are seeking voluntary union recognition from the organization.

The workers presented their CEO with the request on Jan. 3.

Hello Neighbor provides social services for refugees and immigrants around Pittsburgh.

The bargaining unit consists of 21 workers in development and marketing, education and community outreach, and direct services. They are organizing with the United Steelworkers union.

“We believe that our work directly and positively impacts the lives of immigrant and refugee families in and around Pittsburgh,” said Rachael English, a refugee resettlement case manager in a statement. “We are unionizing to ensure that we are better able to serve our families with empathy and compassion.”

The workers said they are seeking fair compensation, a more transparent advancement and promotion structure, and more equitable health and safety policies.

On Friday, a spokesperson for USW said they have not yet received a response from the company.

“We attempted to resolve this in good faith internally, but have not received a response from the CEO,” said the USW’s Chelsey Engel. “We’ve now officially begun the process to have an election through the (National Labor Relations Board). We still welcome voluntary recognition.”

The company did not respond to a message on Friday.

The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in multiple industries including metals, mining, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with workers in health care, public sector, and higher education.

There has been a wave of unionization efforts across the country. The Tribune-Review reported that new petitions filed by workers to form or join a union jumped 58% nationwide from October 2021 to June 2022 compared with the same months in 2020-21, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

The NLRB’s Pittsburgh office, covering the southwestern part of the state, recorded 34 petitions for new unions this year through August, besting 2021’s total of 32 for the year.

One of the most visible is at the Starbucks coffee chain where employees have been organizing to join Starbucks Workers United, which is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union. More than 264 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-run U.S. stores have voted to unionize since late last year, including locations in Bloomfield, the South Side, East Liberty, Oakland and North Hills.

Locally, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers have been on strike since October. The unions that represent Post-Gazette employees on strike include the Communications Workers of America Locals 14842 and 14827, Teamsters Local 205/211 and Pressmen’s Union Local 24M/9N and The Newspaper Guild-CWA Local 38061.