TOWN OF COLONIE EMPLOYEES JOIN UPSEU

Over 200 Town of Colonie employees overwhelmingly voted to join UPSEU on September 4, 2008.    “This is historical for the town employees because they have never been represented by a union before,” said Kathy Wright, UPSEU Regional Coordinator.

UPSEU Labor Representative Gary Favro received inquiries late last year from a number of town employees because they were unhappy with the insecurity of their benefits and the uncertainty of future salary increases.  “We met with a core group of employees and in a matter of a few weeks they had secured a majority of the designation signatures necessary to certify the union without an election,” added Favro.

In addition to the new 200 plus technical and administrative UPSEU members, a vast majority of the department heads also submitted representation designations as well.  Their unit will be a separate bargaining unit and is presently being established to be represented as well.

“We are very excited about having their first membership meeting on September 29.  We will be bringing them up to date on a number of issues we have been fighting on their behalf during the entire certification and election process and begin preparing for negotiation of their first contract,” said Wright.

Congratulations to the Town of Colonie employees for joining UPSEU!