Welcome to the We are ColumbiaCare website developed for the purpose of providing you additional information as you consider your position on having a union.
The current group of employees being considered for a bargaining unit if the union wins election are specifically those who are in non-management positions providing direct care in our 24/7 residential programs, but we feel much of this information could be helpful to any employee. We‘re sorry that any of you felt you needed to turn to a third party like a union to have your voice heard in our organization. ColumbiaCare continues to believe that you don’t need a union, and that we could achieve more by continuing that work together directly. That said, we know things aren’t perfect and that there is always room for improvement.
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Note: The law allows unions to make promises to employees during an organizing campaign. These promises are not unlike what you hear from politicians. The result is also similar as in politics – some promises may come true, while others may not. As your employer, we are not allowed to promise you anything during this campaign. The bottom line is that there are no guarantees resulting from bargaining with a union. Anything in a contract must be agreed to by both sides.
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We keep hearing that folks want to be more informed about what is taking place at CCS, and more involved in processes that impact you. The following are ways to do so as you consider your options to be represented or not by a union:
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1. We encourage staff to stay informed by doing your research, asking questions to get accurate information, considering both sides and all impacts, and balancing pros and cons for yourself. We will be using this site to provide some facts that you may not be aware of, so we hope you stay tuned in.
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2. We highly encourage you to vote!
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Those who vote will be counted, and those who do not will have the choice made for you--regardless of whether you do or do not want a union. If you do not want a union, vote No.
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You cannot"opt out" of a union if one is voted in for the represented group.
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Feeling pressure by others on how to vote? Remember you do not have to share your position and your vote is totally anonymous.
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We understand and respect you and your rights to explore and pursue union representation and the bargaining process, and will not retaliate or undermine those rights.
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We also strongly believe that having a third-party (like a union) speak for you is not in the best interest of our organization (staff or clients) and so we want to make sure everyone has all the facts as they consider how they will vote. We feel that putting a third party between us will change some of the things that make ColumbiaCare amazing. We want to continue to work with you to improve our workplace, and hope you give us the chance to do so by voting No in the upcoming election.