UNIONTOWN, Pa. — Members of the Service Employees International Union in Fayette County held an informational picket in front of the courthouse on Wednesday.
The workers gathered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to remind the public that they are the people who keep the county running.
“We are the faces you see when you do business in Fayette County. … We deserve a good wage, and we deserve affordable health care. So, pay us, respect us and provide for us,” SEIU Internal Organizing Business Agent Michelle Jenkins said.
The union said it is still fighting for good wages and affordable health care even after the county eliminated about 20 positions earlier this year. Those positions were spread throughout the community, including bus drivers and people who oversee parts and bridges.
“With the increase in health care costs, it’s making it difficult for these folks to afford the basic necessities,” Jenkins said.
The union said county officials have given themselves a 3% raise and a 2% raise to non-union workers. They added that the county wants to give union workers a 1% raise.
Channel 11 reached out to Fayette County Commissioner Scott Dunn for comment.
Dunn emphasized that an official raise for union workers has not been set at this time because of ongoing contract negotiations.
He said the raise for elected officials was set in 2022, in accordance with county code.
Dunn said nine employees were laid off, not twenty. He added that eight vacant positions were not filled.
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