Allegheny, Westmoreland labor unions ready to get back to work — safely

Labor leaders in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties have similar desires: to get their members back to work in safe environments.

Their message to public officials is where they diverge.

The Greater Westmoreland County Labor Council this week publicly backed county commissioners and local state lawmakers who previously called on Gov. Tom Wolf to allow all businesses to reopen.

Officials at the Allegheny/Fayette Labor Council have opted to take a lower profile and support the path set by the governor’s office and state health experts.

Westmoreland County’s state and local officials want Wolf to amend the state’s coronavirus reopening plan to allow hair salons, restaurants and youth sports to operate. Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, along with most other counties in Western Pennsylvania, were moved to the yellow phase of the state’s reopening plan, which still prohibits some businesses from operating.

Walter Geiger, president of Westmoreland County’s labor council that represents about 2,500 unionized workers, said the yellow phase reopening process should be expanded — but only if it is safe to do so.

“There should be strong safety standards in place before any employees anywhere return to their positions. Everyone’s life depends on it,” according to the letter signed by Geiger and other labor council board members. “Furthermore, any discussion concerning the return to work must include the voices of the working people as they are the ones risking their lives. A return to work must be based on the science of medical professionals and worker safety.“

Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny County-based organization that represents more than 100,000 unionized workers in Allegheny and Fayette counties, said his members also are ready to return to work but only under safe conditions. His organization will not issue any public statements regarding the state’s reopening plans.

“We want to work with the employers to ensure it is safe for our members to return to work,” Kelly said. “We have to defer to the governor’s office and the health experts.”