LOCAL
Plymouth Housing employees form union with OPEIU Local 8
SEATTLE (Oct. 8, 2014) — By an overwhelming margin, Seattle-based Plymouth Housing Group employees voted to form a union with Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 8 on Tuesday, after a multi-day election process conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
Members of the Union Organizing Committee at Plymouth Housing Group hold the NLRB Tally of Ballots certifying their win. (L-R) Paul Rosenthal, Meghan Rowley, Kristina Grotts and JJ Stein.
The group of 80 case managers, building assistants and coordinators, janitors and other employees join with hundreds of Local 8 members in social and housing services working to improve standards for all non-profit front-line staff.
“Our strong vote count today shows that this had been a long time coming,” said PHG janitor John Blanks. “For workers at an organization like Plymouth, which has a reputation for helping others, this will ensure we will now have the opportunity to make improvements for ourselves.”
Plymouth Housing Group is a non-profit organization that provides permanent, supportive homes to homeless people with few other options for housing. More than 1,000 formerly-homeless adults live in 13 Plymouth residential apartment buildings in the downtown Seattle area. Another 600 have found a home in Seattle/King County through Plymouth’s Shelter Plus Care Program, a federal housing program Plymouth administers for King County.
The right to have a voice to ensure safe working conditions, livable wages, promotion opportunities, and many other issues united Plymouth workers in their effort to form their union.
“We voted to have a union so our opinions and ideas are heard, because we’re the ones working directly with our tenants on a daily basis. When we’re empowered, we’re in a better position to empower others,” said Housing Case Manager Meghan Rowley.
