Pittsburgh
UNITED

Making sure working families share in the prosperity of a New Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh United is a coalition of community, labor, faith, and environmental organizations committed to advancing the vision of a community and economy that work for all people.

We aspire to create a new social contract, whereby all workers are able to care for themselves and raise their families, sharing in the prosperity generated by economic growth and development.

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What We Do

We won $100 million in wages, benefits, and community investment in 2015.

Clean Rivers Campaign

The Clean Rivers Campaign (CRC) engages citizen ratepayers in the public debate over how billions of public funds will be spent to overhaul our regional water and sewer infrastructure. The Clean Rivers Campaign advocates for a smarter approach to solving our water quality problems prioritizing green infrastructure investment with equitable economic development and direct community benefits.

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Building Economic Equality

Through both a Worker Organizing Table and a progressive policy agenda, Pittsburgh United is campaigning for higher wages and better working conditions for working class people in our city. From new union contracts to paid sick days, Pittsburgh United’s coalition has won – by the most conservative estimates – more than $59 million in wages, benefits, and community investment.

Affordable Housing

Our city is on the cusp of fundamental change, and in a unique moment to proactively address affordable housing. Pittsburgh United is fighting to move the region away from policies that segregate low-income residents into second class neighborhoods and towards affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing.

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Recent Media

PWSA board to vote on suspending residential shut-offs

Sep 29, 2017 | Media Coverage, Our Water Campaign

Community activists including the Our Water Campaign urged the moratorium, citing — in part — contamination hazards that may materialize in stagnant water that collects during a shut-off. Ms. Gross said the cold-weather timing of the PWSA moratorium would mirror that...

PWSA Considers Moratorium On Service Shutoffs

Sep 29, 2017 | Media Coverage, Our Water Campaign

PWSA recently established an affordability committee to develop programs to help low-income ratepayers cover the cost of water. A coalition of local organizations, called Our Water Campaign, has been working with the committee to implement a customer assistance...

What Would Restructuring PWSA Look Like? Tulsa, OK and Indianapolis Have An Idea

Sep 13, 2017 | Media Coverage, Our Water Campaign

At a public meeting Tuesday, officials from Tulsa, Okla. and Indianapolis, Ind. talked about the dramatic changes their city made to the provision of water and sewer services. Before the presentations began, the mayoral panel heard public comment. Reverend Dr. Vincent...

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Why Pittsburgh UNITED?

The ‘New Pittsburgh’ enjoys national acclaim. Hardly a week goes by without another news outlet lauding the economic renaissance of our former steel town, or a profile of the city’s livability through the lens of the latest hot neighborhood.

But as this resurgence occurs, not everyone is benefitting, with nearly 50 percent of the 18,000 jobs created in Pittsburgh last year paying less than $14 an hour. Revitalization is benefitting some, but the fabric of low income neighborhoods and communities of color are being torn apart.

Pittsburgh is at a critical moment. We have an opportunity to be a national leader, not just in terms of economic revival, but equitable development that puts people first. To be truly livable, the revitalization of Pittsburgh must include both the high-tech and the service sectors of the economy, while lifting up every neighborhood in the city.