UPMC said it will increase minimum starting salaries for entry-level positions at most Pittsburgh facilities to $15 an hour by January 2021.
Here are eight things to know about the issue.
1. The pay increase will take effect at the following UPMC facilities: UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, UPMC Mercy, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
2. Additionally, average service worker pay at these facilities will exceed $15 an hour by January 2019, UPMC said.
3. The pay range changes begin Jan. 1, 2017.
4. UPMC, which has nearly 62,000 employees across all facilities, said this action is based on the system's continual evaluation of the market.
"We are very proud of our wages, generous benefits and other rewards and of the tens of thousands of jobs at UPMC that have meaning and purpose, and that fulfill an incredibly important mission for the region and the communities that we serve," John Galley, senior vice president and chief human resources officer of UPMC, said in a prepared statement. "We review the market each year to ensure that our salary ranges are competitive and we are committed to rewarding our strong-performing employees with merit increases on an annual basis."
5. Those making $15 an hour and taking full advantage of UPMC's benefits package, which includes a retirement savings plan with a percentage match by UPMC, as well as a defined benefit pension plan paid entirely by UPMC, will earn the equivalent of $24.25 an hour.
6. Wages and benefits for unionized employees who work at UPMC will continue to be negotiated by the workers' respective unions.
7. UPMC's wage announcement comes after hospital workers called for better pay, and after the Pittsburgh City Council launched an investigation, which found UPMC is the "low wage maker" not just for Pittsburgh but for the entire region. The committee's 177-page investigation report also revealed that hospital employment accounts for more than 5 percent of the region's workforce, and service workers in the city hospitals account for 7.5 percent of the city workforce. The average hourly wage for these workers is $12.94 an hour, with some workers paid as little as $9.67 per hour.
8. UPMC's average employee compensation is $64,400 annually, not including benefits. UPMC also employs nearly 25,000 people with an annual salary of more than $50,000.
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