Candidate Comparison:

Pennsylvania Senate

Fetterman

John Fetterman (D)

Mehmet-Oz

Mehmet Oz (R)

Wages

Fetterman believes working Pennsylvanians deserve a higher minimum wage, saying, “We need at least a $15 minimum wage. Not $11. $15. AT LEAST. If you’re opposed to that, you should work and live on $11 an hour and demonstrate for the rest of us exactly how one can survive or feed a family on anything less than $15 an hour.”	Oz is endorsed by anti-worker politicians who oppose raising the minimum wage. [2]
As Lieutenant Governor, he said, “People deserve the dignity of being able to support themselves when they’re working full-time jobs. Workers being paid low wages are doing what their parents and grandparents did, but they are not getting anywhere; they still need to ask for help for routine expenses.” [1]

Paid Time Off & Sick Leave

Fetterman has advocated for paid time off and sick leave and bemoaned the fact that they did not have enough votes in the Pennsylvania senate to pass paid family leave, “If we had one more vote in the Senate, all this would be in the bill: Paid family leave, Medicare lowering the price of prescription drugs, Reversing the Trump tax cuts.” [3]	Oz has refused to say if supports paid time off or sick leave for caring for yourself or a loved one, and is supported by politicians who oppose paid time off and sick leave. [4]

Helping Essential Workers

Fetterman has advocated for essential workers as they fight for better wage, conditions, and benefits. He has also supported essential workers in their efforts to unionize.” [5]	Oz criticized business closures during the pandemic, promoting profits over worker safety.” [6]

Health Care

Fetterman believes that health care is a “basic, fundamental human right, no different than food or shelter;” and promises to lower the cost of prescription drugs.	Oz opposed the Affordable Care Act which expanded health insurance coverage to tens of millions of Americans, reduced drug costs and health care costs for seniors, as well as protected millions of Americans with preexisting conditions.
He has pledged to, “[lower] the Medicare enrollment age, and [expand] Medicare to include vision, dental, and hearing.” He has criticized Big Pharma for price hikes on prescription drugs. “Some Americans ration medication they need because BigPharma charges 10x what other countries do. We need to end their immoral price gouging.”	Oz criticized plans to reduce drug costs. He receives large donations from Big Pharma executives, including CEOs who have hiked prices of the prescription drugs they manufacture. [8]
Fetterman has helped expand health care coverage to 2.2 million low-income, working Pennsylvania residents through the ACA, and worked to established new healthcare services, such as “Pennie” and “Community HealthChoices” for Pennsylvanians. [7]

Economic Insecurity & Inflation

Fetterman supports increased U.S. manufacturing to help control price spikes. To further support middle class families, Fetterman has proposed paying for middle class tax cuts through a financial transaction tax. This proposal would make sure Wall Street, hedge fund managers, and mega-millionaires pay their fair share.	Oz blames pandemic shutdowns on the Administration rather than on COVID-19 itself and inflation on policies like the pandemic relief checks that put money on workers pockets during the pandemic.
He supports tapping the federal oil reserve and opposes the federal gas tax. Fetterman has said, “Working families are getting crushed at the pump; 18 cents really matters;” and noted that, “we should continue…to drive down prices at the pump.”
Fetterman has criticized oil companies for price gouging, saying, “… Exxon Mobile, Chevron, and other oil companies are making record profits. It’s morally wrong, especially while these massive oil companies and their CEOs are doing better than ever. We need to crack down on this.” [9]

Unions & Labor

Fetterman proudly supports the “union way of life,” and has marched in solidarity with Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 374G protesting Kellogg. He also picketed with Erie-Strayer Iron Workers and the Scranton Federation of Teachers as they sought better wages and benefits. He backed Starbucks workers’ unionizing efforts around the state and stood with Coffee Tree Roasters workers in their efforts to join UFCW Local 1776.	Oz has not received endorsements from any labor groups. His top endorsers are openly anti-union and have opposed wage and overtime increases as well as diminished workplace safety protections and they support “right to work” laws. [11]
He has been endorsed by numerous unions, including UFCW Local 1776, APU, USW Local 2599 and USW 10, BCTGM Local 6, ASPCUF, and PFT Local 3.
UFCW Local 1776 unanimously endorsed Fetterman, who himself comes from a union family. Fetterman has said, “it’s the honor of a lifetime to be there for you.”
Supporting Fetterman, the Local noted, “John’s character, leadership and policy positions have helped foster an amazing connection with our members and the issues they care about.…We need elected leaders who will go to Washington to fight for that sacred right, which is collective bargaining and the ability for workers to join and form a union.” [10]

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