Western Massachusetts mental health workers go on strike

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Boston Globe

By Jack Newsham

Dozens of mental health workers are striking across Western Massachusetts for the rest of the week after failing to reach a contract agreement with a Northampton-based mental health and family support agency.

The workers, represented by the Service Employees International Union Local 509, walked out Wednesday over wages and working conditions at Clinical & Support Options Inc., which has 10 locations in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, Berkshire, and Worcester counties. Their contract expired several months ago.

The union said that workers suffer under “near-poverty wages and severe workplace stress.” The agency said it will remain open during the strike by rearranging schedules and reassigning administrative staff. The company said its proposed annual pay and benefits increases would amount to about $1,500 per worker, while the union’s proposal would increase costs by around $4,000 per worker.

Karin Jeffers, the chief executive of Clinical and Support Options, said the union rejected the company’s proposals after four hours of negotiations late Tuesday evening. She said 51 union employees out of more than 325 who were scheduled to work on Wednesday hadn’t show up by around 10:30.

FULL story at link.


Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/07/22/western-massachusetts-mental-health-workers-strike/zIb0bLMU9kwyuoj71l5GuJ/story.html

[udbcrzy2]

1. They deserve more

Even with the workers not showing up, that mental health agency probably still got paid the same amount that they do when the workers are there. I hope this works out for them, the workers that is.