Northeast Parent and Child to join union
Human services agency workers vote to be part of Civil Service Employees Association group
Employees of the Northeast Parent and Child Society human services agency have voted to join the Civil Service Employees Association union.
The 88 full- and part-time workers at the organization voted to unionize May 4 in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
The workers are the latest in an uptick of unionization efforts nationwide, including votes at some Amazon warehouses and Starbucks coffee shops.
“We’re humbled that these workers chose to build their power through joining CSEA,” said CSEA Capital Region organizer Ron Briggs, who assisted the workers in their efforts.
Northeast Parent and Child Society runs a residential facility and provides services for ages 5 to 21 who are struggling in their school or home life.
The society is affiliated with the Parsons Family and Child Center, which in turn is part of
the Northern Rivers human services organization.
Workers, according to CSEA, wanted help in addressing recent staffing issues, increasing worker safety and protections, as well as focusing on fairness, equity and inclusion.
“We are so excited to have won our election. We are on the way to getting the dignity and respect we deserve. This is what is best for us and the children we care for. I hope to see more opportunities for people of color in administrative roles and an expansion of diversity and inclusion of all ethnicities, fair treatment and fair salaries,” said Geneva Grice, an online/on-call counselor, in a release on the decision.
“This has been long overdue. This allows us to have our voices heard and most of all to have support. I hope to have better benefits and to feel appreciated for the job I do,” said Adrian O’neale Sr. a residential counselor.
CSEA is one of the largest unions in the state, representing blue collar state and municipal employees, as well as private sector groups and notfor-profit organizations like Northern Rivers. It has about 300,000 members and is an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME.
Northern Rivers CEO William Gettman in a prepared statement said the organization “is and has always been committed to supporting our incredible workforce to fulfill our mission. We respect the rights of our employees to participate in the labor process, and will continue to work with them as the results of the election are reviewed as per the standards and practices established by the National Labor Relations Board.
“We will continue to ensure the health, safety, dignity, and success of the youth in our care; to recruit and retain top-quality employees; and work to meet the unique workforce challenges the nonprofit sector faces to meet the needs of our communities,” he said.
CSEA spokeswoman Jill Ascensio said this was the first affiliate of Northern Rivers to unionize.