Joseph’s House asked to recognize union
Letter to executive director says 60% of eligible employees are in favor of alliance if it went to vote
Employees of Joseph’s House, a homeless shelter and not-forprofit social service provider, are looking to unionize and are hoping their management allows that without going to a vote.
“We’re requesting voluntary recognition,” said Sean Collins, an organizer with the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU Local 200 United, which has been working with the roughly 75 eligible employees at the center. “We’re hoping to avoid an election.”
Of the 75 employees, he said, about 60 percent have signed cards indicating they would opt to unionize if a vote was called.
The letter went to Kevin O’connor, Joseph’s House executive director. They are seeking a reply by the end of this month. If there is no reply, they could then launch a formal drive to hold a union vote.
“I hope the management of Joseph’s House will recognize our union so we can quickly get to the bargaining to negotiate improvements in our workplace,” Klarisse Torriente, one
of the Joseph’s House employees and organizers said in a prepared statement.
Getting voluntary recognition from the organization’s leadership would save union organizers the time, expense and logistical effort needed to run an election. Such votes are typically overseen by the federal National Labor Relations Board.
Additionally, if management objects to the way the campaign was run or the vote was taken, it can drag out and complicate the effort to unionize.
Collins said that with a supermajority of employees signing the cards, a vote would swing in the union’s favor.
Joseph’s House and Shelter provides emergency housing and a variety of support services each year to almost 2,000 people and families who have become homeless.
Started in 1983, the organization’s mission is to “Provide non-judgmental services to end homelessness.”
O’connor on Tuesday said he had just received the petition from Joseph’s House employees. “It’s early in the process and we are reviewing it at this point,” O’connor said.
Collins said pay, which can range from $15- to $22-an-hour is an issue. But just as important, workers say they need more training and backup to help them with their jobs.
Many of the positions at St. Joseph’s involve helping and treating people with serious mental illnesses or addictions — a task that can take its toll on care providers.
“They are working with folks with severe mental health issues and addictions and are finding themselves in situations where they are not prepared,” said Collins. “They’ve seen their caseloads increase,” he added.
Some of the employees have college degrees while some don’t and some are formerly homeless themselves.
Jobs range from shift manager at the shelter to those in street outreach and diversion efforts to prevent homelessness. Various faith and union leaders from the Capital Region have supported the push to unionize.
Nationally, not-for-profits such as shelters and human service organizations during the past few years have seen more unionization efforts.
That’s along with growing union drives at consumerfacing businesses such as Starbucks coffee shops. Locally, employees at the Northeast Parent and Child Society in Schenectady voted for union representation as did workers at the Latham Plaza Starbucks.