Workers at Pittsburgh bikeshare nonprofit POGOH have unionized.
The organizers filed to join the Transport Workers Union of America last month, and they said in a Tuesday press release that POGOH employees “voted overwhelmingly” to do so.
TWU already represents workers for bikeshare organizations in New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
“Today’s victory is a big step forward for POGOH bikeshare workers who want the benefits of a contract and being a part of the country’s largest bikeshare union,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen in the release.
POGOH workers cite conditions in their current warehouse location, which they say lacks adequate heat and ventilation, as a major reason to join the TWU. They’re also hoping for an increase in pay and additional compensation for shoveling snow, which their TWU counterparts in New York and Washington already receive.
“We were able to move quickly to achieve victory in Pittsburgh, but now the work begins to draft and ratify a first contract,” said TWU Organizing Director Angelo Cucuzza. “I also want to thank the workers in Pittsburgh who wanted to fight for a better workplace and our TWU member-organizers for their hard work.”
The new POGOH bargaining unit will consist of 15 workers across the shop, field team and customer service. They’ll join over 160,000 TWU workers across the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities and service industries.