Pittsburgh City Workers Ratify New Three-Year Agreement

Members of AFSCME Local 2719 representing the workers of the City of Pittsburgh voted overwhelmingly to ratify a powerful new contract. 

The agreement includes wage enhancements, a new minimum wage, wage compression counter measures, stronger grievance language, a sick bank seeded with 20 days paid leave for members in times of need, longevity payments for the first time ever, preferential bidding opportunities for all city jobs for AFSCME members, and a reinstatement of a fifth week of vacation for all workers with 15 years of service to the city. 

Our local members showed up, not only at the bargaining table through our bargaining team, but also at the ballot box to have their voices heard. We as a team put in the work, and it paid off big for our members.

– Craig Sippel, Local 2719 President

According to local leadership, they more than doubled their voter turnout for this ratification. As part of the push for voter turnout, Local 2719 signed up 27 new members. 

In this three-year agreement, there were no significant givebacks. Additionally, through this negotiation process, the union was successful in accreting dozens of new bargaining unit members, growing the base of workers protected by this contract.

This is the power AFSCME members have when we mobilize – strong contracts, strong local unions, and strong public services for the people we serve. 

Congratulations to members of AFSCME Local 2719!