Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. High 79F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..
Tonight
A clear sky. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.
A majority (70 percent) of employees at the Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL) submitted union authorization cards on Thursday, June 11, indicating their intention to form a union with Oregon AFSCME Council 75, according to a press release from union organizers.
AFSCME represents 24,000 workers in Oregon. Most members are public employees who work for the State of Oregon or an Oregon city, county or special district. Some private-sector employees are also represented — most of them employed by nonprofit agencies that provide some form of public service.
The Mid-Columbia Center for Living is an intergovernmental agency and a Certified Behavioral Health Clinic that provides mental health, substance abuse and intellectual/developmental disability services for Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties.
Following submission of the authorization cards, the Employee Relations Board will verify cards signed by eligible employees at which point the union and MCCFL will head into bargaining the first contract.
“We are excited to be moving into this new phase of collaboration with management,” said Aimee Brink, a Drug and Alcohol Counselor at MCCFL. “Uniting as workers fits perfectly into MCCFL’s commitment to social responsibility, social learning, non-violence, emotional intelligence, democracy, opening communication and growth and change.”
MCCFL workers laid out several priorities that they will tackle thanks to their new union, including:
Facilitate greater partnerships that protect and prioritize the interests of the clients we serve, with the understanding that interactions between management and staff are a model for interactions between staff and clients.
Have a voice in the decisions that affect MCCFL workers and clients.
Honor the collaborative strength within the three counties we serve, recognizing that the diversity of our communities is fundamental to our success as an agency.
“Our absolute top priority is always our community. We love supporting the individuals and families we serve directly and believe this process will help us advocate for them even more,” said Brink.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workers on the organizing committee utilized remote organizing methods and other adaptive approaches in order to complete their authorization process in a little over a month, during the height of reduced work hours at the agency and greater social-distancing.
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