(NEW YORK CITY) – A super-majority of Workers employed at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Office of New York have announced their intent to form a Union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153. 

The IRC New York Office is the eighth IRC Regional Office to announce the formation of their Union with OPEIU, following: Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Abilene, Texas; Oakland, California; San Jose, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Turlock, California.

IRC New York City Workers have called on IRC Leadership to avoid a wasteful and lengthy election process by voluntarily recognizing their Union. 

Demand for the critical services IRC Workers provide has never been higher and as the new U.S. Presidential Administration promises to ramp up its attacks on the rights of Workers, Immigrants and forced Migrants, it has never been more important for Humanitarian Workers to organize and have a voice at the table. 

“We’re Unionizing because we believe we are stronger as a workplace when we’re organized together,” said Aaron Banen, a Youth Program Specialist at the IRC New York. “We join several other IRC Offices that have recently Unionized that face similar workplace struggles such as large caseloads, work-life balance concerns, and more.  We also believe it is in the best interest of the clients we serve, that Unionizing will allow us to provide better quality services to these vulnerable populations, especially concerning the current political climate.”

Included in the IRC New York Workers key demands are better pay transparency and equity, higher wages, affordable health insurance inclusive of coverage for mental health care, just cause protections, safe and confidential spaces for meeting with clients, and a collective voice and input when it comes to organizational decision making.

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