Workers at one of Maine's largest anti-poverty groups look to unionize

Workers at Preble Street, one of Maine’s largest anti-poverty organizations, may vote next month to form a union, which they say will make their work more sustainable.

Last month, a majority of the 143 eligible employees signed authorization cards calling for a vote, according to the Maine State Employees Association- SEIU 1989, the union that would represent them (and that also represents employees of the Maine People’s Alliance including Beacon staff). The National Labor Relations Board will begin mailing out ballots to the workers this Friday, with an outcome expected on June 14.

A key concern of those looking to unionize is addressing the high turnover among the staff at the anti-homelessness organization. Preble Street has operated in Portland since 1975 — and now in Lewiston and Bangor as well — offering barrier-free food and shelter, as well as teen services, housing-first programs, veterans housing, case management, healthcare and anti-trafficking services, among other programs.

Many of the eligible workers are the frontline, direct-service staff that interact with the nonprofits’ clients, run the programs, and do the case management, as well as the support staff who do the cooking, cleaning and maintenance.

Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/workers-at-one-of-maines-largest-anti-poverty-groups-look-to-unionize/