CLUW of Southwestern PA

08/07/2026

NO AUGUST MEETING: Due to our busy schedules, we are going to take a break this month and not have an August meeting. Be on the lookout for information about our next meeting on Thursday, September 10th at 6:30pm.

07/27/2026

Delivering a baby can go as well as possible, said Liana Montes, and yet it can still be traumatic for someone giving birth. That’s why the labor and delivery nurse at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital said it’s important for her to take time to explain the process

07/09/2026

The July chapter meeting is being changed to next week, July 16th at 6:30pm. A post for the new meeting date will be posted within the next few days.

07/01/2026

📣 Urgent call to action!

Last month, the USPS proposed a new rule that will allow the Postal Service to refuse to deliver ballots as retaliation for states not turning over voter information to the federal government and to refuse to deliver any ballots for individuals not on provided lists of eligible. This WILL disenfranchise eligible voters and is not the role of the USPS to police our elections.

Please use this link to submit a public comment to USPS opposing this rule change by tomorrow 7/2 at 5 PM!

The United States Postal Service (“USPS”) issued a new rule on 06/02/2026 that would establish elements of national standards for absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections.  Concerning provisions include: States would have to provide USPS with lists of voters eligible to receive ma...

05/28/2026

🚨🚨🚨Submit public comments to the Board of Health supporting parental leave NOW and/or sign up to speak at their June 2 meeting: bit.ly/parentalleavecomments

A broad coalition of advocates, Magee union nurses, community members and elected leaders are calling for paid leave to address the infant and maternal health crisis, and ensure kids and parents can thrive. Clinical studies prove that paid leave reduces infant and maternal deaths and improves physical and mental health for new parents and children. Studies also show that parental leave helps recruit and retain workers, and build a strong economy. Working families are struggling with the rising cost of living, and shouldn’t have to worry about losing their paychecks or jobs in order to take care of their babies. For the health and economic security of everyone in Allegheny County, we need paid parental leave NOW!

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day we honor all who served, particularly the histories of the women who paid the ultimate price, but who have far too often disappeared from history.

Women have served in the military since the founding of the Republic. Many stories stand out. Molly Pitcher, possibly an amalgamation of more than one woman seen on the battlefield, served with the Continental Army during the Revolution. At the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, Molly Hays brought water in a “pitcher” to soldiers in the field. When her husband was carried off the battlefield, Mary took his place at the cannon and continued to “swab and load” the cannon using her husband’s ramrod. After the battle, General Washington asked about the woman whom he had seen loading a cannon on the battlefield. In commemoration of her courage, he issued Mary Hays a warrant as a non-commissioned officer.

Since the Spanish-American War, women have volunteered and died in active duty while battling diseases and treating wounded soldiers. Typhoid was the deadliest killer during the Spanish-American War, accounting for the vast majority of U.S. casualties. Of the more than 1,500 female Army contract nurses who served, 21 died in the line of duty, with most succumbing to typhoid contracted while caring for infected soldiers.

Because the Daughters of the American Revolution initially refused to accept Black volunteers, the Surgeon General appointed Namahyoke Curtis, a prominent Native and Black American nurse in Washington, D.C., to recruit Black nurses. She brought 32 women to care for patients during the outbreaks in Santiago, Cuba. Two of these women died of typhoid fever in the line of duty.

Over 3 million women have served in the military since the American Revolution, including women like Deborah Samson. In 1782, as the Revolutionary War raged on, Sampson disguised herself as a man named Robert Shurtleff and joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment. She was the only woman to earn a full military pension for participation in the Revolutionary army.

04/20/2026

In a 4-3 ruling, the Commonwealth Court found that abortion access is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Constitution.

04/15/2026

This May Day, Pittsburgh says: Workers over Billionaires, Immigrants over ICE!

🗓️ Friday, May 1 @ 5:30 pm
📍 60 Blvd of the Allies

Join us for the annual May Day rally and march this International Workers Day. We’ll use the momentum to meet our neighbors, organize our communities, and work together to fight for a city where everyone can thrive! Bring a friend, coworker, partner, family member, or neighbor - our collective energy is powerful 💪🏼

04/12/2026

Newly elected Chapter President, Rachel Gall, and National Vice President, Beth Mikus, dropped off items donated by SWPA CLUW for the Women’s Center and Shelter at the Iron Workers #3 on Saturday.

04/10/2026

Thank you Rick Grejda for 20 years of advocating for women and families in the Labor Movement and being a part of the SWPA CLUW team!