Rep. Summer Lee’s Statement Celebrating DOJ’s Backing of Healthcare Workers in Class Action Lawsuit Against UPMC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2024

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Rep. Summer Lee’s Statement Celebrating DOJ’s Backing of Healthcare Workers in Class Action Lawsuit Against UPMC

Pittsburgh, PA – Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) released the following statement celebrating the Department of Justice’s decision to back healthcare workers in their class action lawsuit against UPMC, marking a critical step toward holding one of Pennsylvania’s largest employers accountable for its abusive practices against workers:

“Healthcare workers are the backbone of our community. They keep us safe, heal our loved ones, and have borne the brunt of this pandemic—all while UPMC exploited its monopoly power to limit their wages and crush their voices. Today, the Department of Justice has taken an essential step to stand with workers and hold UPMC accountable for its long history of abuses. I couldn’t be more proud to stand with these brave workers as they fight to end the monopolistic practices that have harmed them and our entire region for far too long.

For years, I’ve worked alongside Pittsburgh’s healthcare workers in their struggle for dignity, fair wages, and basic respect. From the Pennsylvania Statehouse to Congress, our fight has been about ensuring UPMC treats its workers not as disposable, but as essential. The DOJ’s decision is a testament to the tireless work of these workers who have courageously fought to reclaim their rights and build a system that works for everyone—not just UPMC executives.”

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Background on Rep. Summer Lee’s Actions to Stand with UPMC Workers

Congresswoman Summer Lee has a long history of standing with healthcare workers in Pittsburgh and holding UPMC accountable for its monopolistic practices and harmful treatment of both workers and patients. From her time in the Pennsylvania Statehouse to her current role in Congress, Lee has worked tirelessly to confront UPMC’s outsized control over the region’s healthcare system.

During her time in the Pennsylvania Statehouse, Lee worked with hospital workers and patients to organize a takeover of UPMC’s board meeting and a walkout that led then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro to broker a historic deal ensuring millions of Highmark and UPMC patients maintained access to care. Along with State Rep. Sara Innamorato, Lee founded the Pittsburgh Hospital Workers Taskforce, held a hearing on Pittsburgh’s hospital workforce crisis, organized roundtables with local elected officials, and regularly joined workers at rallies.

Weeks into her first term in Congress, Lee partnered with then-State Rep. Sara Innamorato and the American Economic Liberties Project on the report Critical Condition: How UPMC’s Monopoly Power Harms Workers and Patients. In the report, Lee and Innamorato compared UPMC’s modern monopoly power to the steel corporations of the last century, noting how it has depressed wages, degraded working conditions, and created a crisis for local communities. The report underscored the need for bold action to break UPMC’s stranglehold on workers and patients alike.

In February, Lee invited Nila Payton, an organizer with Hospital Workers Rising, as her guest to the State of the Union to highlight the devastating impact of UPMC’s practices. Nila, like many UPMC workers, is burdened with thousands of dollars of medical debt to her own employer—an unconscionable situation Lee has been working to change through legislation and advocacy.

In May 2024, Congresswoman Lee introduced the Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act, her first bill in Congress, co-led by Reps. Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee. This bicameral legislation would provide up to $13 per hour in hazard pay and essential safety measures for healthcare workers during emergencies and disasters, a direct response to the critical need for protections that UPMC has consistently failed to provide.

More recently, after workers filed a formal complaint with the DOJ about UPMC’s abuse of its market power to limit wages, increase workloads, and prevent workers from changing employers, Lee has called for a full investigation into the hospital monopoly’s wage penalties. Lee has convened multiple roundtables to hear from workers about the solutions they need to care for patients, led a panel on hospital monopolies with FTC Chair Lina Khan at the Antimonopoly Summit, and supported Pittsburgh’s investigation into UPMC’s nonprofit status.

Today’s decision by the DOJ to back healthcare workers is a critical victory in the fight against corporate healthcare monopolies. It builds on years of advocacy and organizing led by Lee and the healthcare workers of Pittsburgh, and marks a significant step toward holding UPMC accountable for its long-standing exploitation of the region’s healthcare workforce.