Atlanta, March 6, 2023 – The CPACS Workers United Organizing Committee (CWUOC) proudly announces it has filed the petition with the National Labor Relations Board to begin the process to form a labor union on Monday, February 27, 2023. CPACS Workers United, will be a member of the Workers United Southern Region, an SEIU Affiliate (the same union as Starbucks Workers United). CWUOC members, an internal CPACS non-managerial staff-led team, plan to collectively bargain with our management to recognize our union through an election.
CPACS Workers United comes as a direct result of decades-long mistreatment of workers including low wages and pay inequality, toxic work environment, retaliation for asking questions about finances, and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the organization is under multiple federal and state investigations for financial mismanagement. Internal investigations have corroborated unfair treatment of staff.
While there have been recent changes in leadership at CPACS, staff are still being treated the same with little to no dignity or respect under the current Acting CEO. The staff both in the Main Office and COSMO are experiencing low morale, wage theft, changes in their time cards without their knowledge, intimidation, discrimination, being forced to move into departments that they are not equipped for, and much more.
Through unionizing, CPACS Workers United will bargain for:
– Accountability from our leaders to provide respect, dignity, integrity, and equity in the management of their employees.
– Security of guaranteed wages, benefits, protection against retaliation, and a formal voice in negotiations regarding working conditions.
– Equity in the organization to make sure all workers are compensated and treated fairly regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or other status.
– Open communication and transparency with management to promote and protect staff well-being, without fear of retaliation or punishment.
Despite the mistreatment of workers, CPACS staff passion has driven them to continue to serve immigrant and refugee communities in the metro-Atlanta area. A nonprofit established in 1980, CPACS is the first and largest Asian American and Pacific Islander health and human service agency in the Southeast region. The mission is to promote self-sufficiency and equity for immigrants, refugees, and the underprivileged through comprehensive health and social services, capacity building, and advocacy. In recent years, CPACS has served nearly ~60,000 clients a year.
“CPACS staff and supporters have been organizing since July 2022 to reform and save the organization that is vital for our community,” says a CWUOC member, “We believe that CPACS can be reformed with better input from the community, and unionizing staff is a vehicle to allow our voices to be heard. We hope to work together with management to invest in the staff and also the community. This will allow CPACS to better serve our communities for the future to come.”
