United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania collaborates with labor unions in our five-county region to support workers and families and make our community a place where everyone can thrive. We work closely with the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO), which represents unions across our region serving steelworkers, tradespeople, health care workers and members of other industries.
Encouraging giving: United Way encourages local union members to volunteer and contribute to United Way. Local union membership — from chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Amalgamated Transit Union, United Steelworkers International and Utility Workers Union of America — are significant contributors to United Way through workplace campaigns.
Help for workers in need: We also connect union and non-union workers with resources and opportunities for career development in their communities. Through our PA 211 Southwest help center, we refer workers experiencing hardship to human services in their communities. Resources range from food assistance, emergency financial assistance and local options for child care, health care, utility and housing assistance and much more.
United Way’s AFL-CIO liaison collaborates with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Dislocated Workers Rapid Response Team to support workers in the event of a mass layoff or plant closure, connecting dislocated workers with opportunities for re-employment and making sure they know how to file for unemployment and access health care options.
Honoring workers: United Way recognizes Workers’ Memorial Day, celebrated every year in Pittsburgh on April 28, which honors workers who were injured, disabled or killed by their work that year. United Way also participates in events such as the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Richard L. Trumka Community Service Week of Action and the Labor of Love Stuff the Bus toy drive.