The Fight for 15 Pays Off: AHN to Raise Its Minimum Wage

Allegheny Health Network is the latest employer in the region to raise its company-wide minimum wage.

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The health care field is one of the Pittsburgh region’s top employers — and a recent announcement from Allegheny Health Network may cause a further spike in applications.

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced on May 18 it would increase its minimum wage to $15, echoing a 2016 announcement from UPMC. It’s a move applauded by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), which advocates for a minimum wage that can better support the cost of living.

Laura Huizar, staff attorney at NELP, says that “the fight for 15” has been a priority for the organization since 2012. AHN’s announcement is a “positive development,” she says, “[the] type of increase workers need in Pennsylvania.”

Both AHN and UPMC plan to implement the increase gradually; the networks have targeted 2021 to complete organization-wide implementations of the new wage structure. Both companies reported profit and improved performance in the last year.