Fight ends, workers will join union

After two years in the trenches, and a tense confrontation last year with their employer, Housing Works staffers across the city have voted to unionize.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union announced on Dec. 23 that the nonprofit’s workers voted 88% to 12% to join the national union, which represents 100,000 workers across the country.

The holiday vote was the largest union election in New York state this year, union officials said.

“These workers experienced a needlessly long fight to unionize their workplace. Their tenacity, and fortitude never wavered in this unnecessarily long process, which was stalled by their employer at every turn,” said union president Stuart Appelbaum.

“Together, they are ready to win a strong contract that will only enhance their ability to care for the Housing Works community,” Appelbaum said.

The 605 employees in the Housing Works bargaining unit will begin new contract negotiations in 2021, said union officials.

Housing Works President Matt Bernardo said Wednesday that the nonprofit would respect the majority vote.

“We promised two years ago and have repeated frequently since then that we would bargain in good faith with the union if they received a majority of votes, and with our work as essential as ever, we will work constructively with the union to achieve our shared goal of advocating for our clients as we always have,” Bernardo said in a statement.

The vote to unionize marks a victory for Housing Works employees who fought with company leadership to organize for years.

Staffers have long complained about wages so low that some are forced to live in shelters, unsafe work conditions and unmanageable caseloads.

CEO Charles King had opposed the unionization drive, sparking criticism that he was betraying his own nonprofit which has fought for vulnerable New Yorkers and progressive values since its founding in 1990.

In February about a dozen workers confronted King in his office. But he was unmoved. “We are neutral, we will allow the (National Labor Relations Board) process to roll out, and we will respect whatever decision comes out of that election,” he told the room at the time.

The meeting led to workers filing a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board, which set off a formal election.