ITHACA, N.Y. — Clinical and support staff at local mental health provider Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca launched their union campaign Wednesday evening.
A union representative said Thursday that a “supermajority of eligible staff” at Family and Children’s had signed cards authorizing the Communication Workers of America (CWA) to represent them in collective bargaining.
The unionization effort at Family and Children’s comes on the heels of major union victories for nurses at Cayuga Medical Center, who are affiliated with CWA as well.
The union would consist of client facing staff like nurses, clinicians, behavioral health care coordinators and outreach workers. It would also include facilities workers and administrative coordinators.
In a statement, Family and Children’s Services Clinician Calyx Steiner said that workers were spurred to organize in part by the increasing pressure on healthcare workers by insurance companies — sometimes to the detriment of patients.
“Our choice to unionize reflects our belief that a new model for providing community based mental health care is possible, without sacrificing the dignity and wellbeing of workers,” Steiner said. “We feel that sustainable working conditions will allow people to build long term careers meeting the needs of our community.”
Workers could have a streamlined path to union representation if the Family and Children’s Board of Directors agrees to voluntarily recognize the union. If the board declines to do so, the matter will be decided by an election held by the National Labor Relations Board.
Family and Children’s interim Executive Director Dr. Alecia Sundsmo said the organization received the request on Wednesday evening. As of Thursday afternoon, the board had not yet been able to formally meet to discuss whether or not to voluntarily recognize the union, Sundsmo said.
“Because this request was received less than 24 hours ago, [Family and Children’s Services] is currently in the process of reviewing the documentation and consulting with our Board of Directors and regulatory bodies,” Sundsmo said. “It is essential that we ensure all next steps align with our operational requirements and our mission to provide uninterrupted, high-quality care to our clients.”
Sundsmo thanked staff for their dedication and service to the community and said that the organization “fully acknowledges and respects the right of our employees to organize and engage in collective bargaining.”
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