Direct Care Professionals, Nurses, and Service Workers at the Ulster-Greene ARC (UGARC) rang in the New Year as card-carrying members of a new union and in possession of a newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement.  On August 7, 2009 they voted to join Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 200United by a huge margin.  Immediately following that vote, union members launched a comprehensive campaign to win a fair and equitable contract.

Ulster-Greene ARC, a Kingston-based Human Service Agency with approximately 900 employees and a $40 million budget, learned of a $2 ½ million reduction in State funding just as the parties sat down to bargain in late August.  Consequently, agency management came to the table looking for significant give-backs by union members.  Local 200United, on the other hand, was determined not to surrender important long-term standards in order to help the ARC weather the current financial crisis being faced by everyone in New York State and across the nation.  In this the union Bargaining Committee, made up of 17 rank and file workers, were able to win the vocal support of over 600 union workers.  “They were proposing take backs on benefit time, layoffs, holidays and pension, which we successfully beat back,” said SEIU Negotiating Committee member Ivan Morales, a Service Coordinator for the agency.

Local 200United members successfully fought management’s attempt to impose higher health insurance premiums on them and an alternative effort to accept a lesser plan.  Longevity wage increases of 11% over base at three years and 21% at six years were also defended, although all employees lost one vacation day in order to secure these steps.  While no increase in base wages was possible in the current economic climate, bargaining unit members will split approximately $400,000 in the form of bonuses.  Agency Nurses also received some professional job protections written into the new agreement.  This will enhance their ability to properly monitor nursing care and guarantee that consumers receive treatment from appropriately trained caregivers.

The vote on the final agreement took place on December 22, 2009.  A solid 82% of voters cast their ballots in favor of the agreement.

Union bargaining representative Michael Lonigro, also Secretary Treasurer of Local 200United, led negotiations for the union with assistance from staffer Andrea Campbell.  Rank and file members of the Committee were Ivan Morales, David Hogan, John Smigiel, Faydra Geraghty, Billie-Jo Marquez, Chelsea Ivery, Margaret Hamilton, Deborah Quick, Sheri Scull, Tiffany Ward, Patrick Long, Michael Van Wagenen, Jason Dugan, Andre Peterkin Sr., Thomas Beesimer II, Kimberly Stokes, and William Rivera.

“Winning a solid agreement like this in today’s bleak economic climate is testament to the dedication and hard work these new members were willing to put into their contract campaign,” said SEIU 200United President Jerry Dennis.

Local 200United members at UGARC include Registered Nurses and LPNs, and all employees in the transportation, maintenance, and service coordination departments.  However, the largest group in the union is made up of Direct Support Professionals who provide services to consumers with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in the agency’s residential homes, respite, day-hab, day treatment, pilot industries, and in-home programs.