PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Dozens of union painters and their supporters demonstrated in Market Square and in front of PPG Place in downtown Pittsburgh Friday.They object to a new digital service called PPG Services. The platform connects commercial paint jobs to painting contractors. Both union and non-union contractors can apply to be listed on the service.
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades says the service promotes, "predatory pricing that jeopardizes fair wages and health and retirement benefits."
"The more pricing gets set by large corporations the harder and harder it gets for workers to collectively bargain because the wages are already set," according to IUPAT Organizing Director Jim Williams who took part in the protest. "As a labor union we believe that should be an open market, not a controlled market by an online service that puts workers at risk," says Williams.
A statement from PPG reads in part, "Our goal is to support painters' success and create the most value we can for our customers." It adds, "(We) must adapt to deliver differentiated digital solutions to manage complex customer needs with agility, ease, and efficiency." It concludes, "Many union and non-union painters have already benefited from working with PPG Services. We will continue to work with organizations such as IUPAT to ensure mutual success."
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