We are writing on behalf of the nurses, advanced practitioners, patients, and elected officials who all have a stake in Magee’s continued delivery of premiere women’s care in our region. We respectfully request that your 2026 annual meeting be held in person with space for the public to join and include a one-hour comment period open to Magee nurses, APPs, and patients.
We are making this request so that we can share our concerns, including:
- The fact that patients have asked for more time with their nurses. The leading birthing hospital in the region should follow evidence-based, nationally recognized standards of care.
- Nurse turnover – particularly the loss of experienced nurses, whom patients depend on for their care. This is driven, in no small part, by compensation that is below the national market and raises that get smaller the longer you stay.
- The responsibility our hospital has to lead on addressing the ongoing maternal and infant health crisis in Western Pennsylvania.
- The fact that UPMC is spending money and time campaigning, again, against the union – both inside Magee and also at other hospitals.
Nurses provide the bulk of care at our hospital, and we believe the board would want to hear these perspectives directly from us. Patients recently asked to join negotiations on behalf of over 1,000 community members across the region, and Magee leadership declined this request. Elected leaders, too, are clear: the Allegheny County Council passed a resolution in support of the standards of care the nurses are advocating for, which West Penn has already adopted.
After the union election, UPMC said, "We respect the decision of UPMC Magee nurses to unionize with the SEIU and look forward to building a respectful partnership. We remain committed to fostering a collaborative work environment focused on providing exceptional care for our patients." UPMC should live up to that commitment – instead of spending healthcare resources attempting to discourage nurses here at Magee and trying to dissuade non-union nurses across the system from forming a union too.
As stakeholders in our hospital, we wish to share our experiences with the board directly, and request an opportunity to speak with you. Thank you for your service to our hospital.
Signed,