Allegheny County executive Sara Innamorato made quick work of setting herself apart from her predecessor Wednesday, announcing a wage hike for potentially hundreds of county employees.
Innamorato’s new policy, which sets a wage floor for full-time county workers at $18 per hour in 2024 and $22 per hour by 2027, is similar to a 2023 law passed by County Council then overturned by a court challenge filed by the administration of then-Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
Innamorato said on the campaign trail she supported the bill, and made good on that statement just a day after she was sworn in as Fitzgerald’s successor. She said the new policy is vital to retaining and attracting workers to carry out the work of county government.
“Once I learned we had 1,000 open positions at the county, I knew improving our workforce pay and benefits was going to be an immediate action for my administration,” Innamorato said at a press conference outside her County Courthouse office.
It’s unclear exactly how many employees will benefit from the action, though Innamorato’s spokesperson said “hundreds” of employees will see an increase when the $22 floor goes into effect. A PublicSource analysis showed that more than 1,000 full-time employees earned less than that in 2022, though some may have received raises since then.
Innamorato also announced a new wage floor for part-time workers, increased from $12 to $15 per hour.
The increases will not immediately affect union workers, though Innamorato indicated equivalent hikes would be incorporated into each union’s next collective bargaining agreement. Thousands of county workers are unionized, encompassing public safety workers and service workers, among others.
Innamorato sworn in as Allegheny executive, asking county not to fear change
The announcement suggests an immediate shift in the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of county government. Innamorato took an issue that divided the two sides so deeply last year that Fitzgerald and council ended up in court over the legality of the wage legislation. A judge later sided with the executive branch, leaving Innamorato with sole authority to set wages. She gave council what it wants in this case.
Innamorato said the move is already accounted for in the 2024 budget and that she would need to do further work with her budget staff to determine resulting costs for future budget years. She said any cost estimate would take into account the savings associated with employee retention and a revitalized workforce.
She also announced adjusted employee benefits aimed at improving retention and hiring. Employees will receive three weeks of paid vacation, with added time for long-serving employees, and they will no longer have to wait to access sick time and parental leave, she said.
“The county has record low unemployment right now, and that means hiring is competitive,” Innamorato said. “And the county cannot compete if we are not recognizing the work-life balance that people need to be successful.”
She also announced prospective employees will no longer be subjected to drug tests, except when collective bargaining agreements require it.
Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter and a Report for America corps member. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org.
