|
New OCDC members in Klamath Falls celebrate their organizing victory. |
|
We welcome our newest members of Oregon AFSCME — the workers at the Oregon Childhood Development Coalition in Klamath County. When the ballots were counted recently, OCDC employees voted by a margin of over 70 percent to join our union.
Workers at the OCDC visualized a workplace where they would be treated with respect. They crossed distance and language barriers to come together to address the many changes and improvements they wanted to make at their workplace. Our new members work hard every day to provide quality care to children in poverty. They are deeply committed to their work, and want a workplace where children receive quality care thanks not only to their dedication to their jobs, but also thanks to improved staffing and better quality meals for the children. They also want an end to mistreatment of workers and basic improvements in their compensation.
Workers bravely organized, wore their green AFSCME shirts and their "I'm voting YES/Voy a votar SI" stickers with pride because even before the official NLRB vote, they were a union.
After the election workers came together to talk, celebrate and think about their next step — contract negotiations. They are united and ready to continue the fight for better working conditions.
“Ultimately this is about the families and children that we serve,” said Tammy Hernandez, a bus driver in Chiloquin. “We want to work together with management to settle a fair contract that improves working conditions at Klamath County OCDC, because in turn, that will improve how we deliver services to our children.”
|