After a nearly two-month struggle, New York Immigration Coalition management agreed to voluntarily recognize its staff’s union late Thursday.
“The New York Immigration Coalition has reached a voluntary recognition agreement with the union representing NYIC staff,” Chester Jesus Soria, a spokesperson for the NYIC, said in a statement. “A neutral third party will conduct a card check to determine majority support among the agreed bargaining unit. If majority support is confirmed, the union will be certified as the bargaining representative, and the two sides will begin negotiating a contract.”
NYIC is a coalition of 200 immigration advocacy organizations in New York State, offering legal assistance, advocacy for immigrant New Yorkers, and workers’ rights trainings.
The recognition of the union late Thursday comes after a tense standoff between workers and management.
Employees had announced their intent to form a union on June 9, delivering a petition to management signed by 70% of eligible staff. Calling themselves NYIC United, the employees, who are organizing with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153, gave management a deadline of June 12 to voluntarily recognize their union before going public.
Their demands include increased protections for immigrant workers, support for their immigration cases, financial transparency, and pay equity.
Management indicated its openness to voluntarily recognizing the union in a staff-wide email reviewed by Documented on June 12, but appeared to walk back that promise in subsequent weeks.
On June 30, NYIC management wrote a letter to staff announcing it had filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a secret ballot election to approve the union, which would force an official vote registered with the federal government, rather than voluntarily recognizing the union. The organization also retained counsel from the law firm Kauff McGuire & Margolis, which has represented other legal nonprofits facing contentious union drives, including the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG).
Both NYIC United and OPEIU confirmed that NYIC management voluntarily recognized the union on Thursday. Per their agreement with management, staff are not permitted to speak publicly until after the union is certified, which they expect will happen by next week.
NYIC employs a staff of 90 across its multiple offices throughout New York State. Of the 50 eligible staff members that would be represented by the union, 80% have signed union cards, the union previously told Documented.
Several NYIC member organizations, including the Rochester Rapid Response Network and Metro Justice, had expressed support for the staff union drive.
“Metro Justice is proud to support the essential work that the NYIC does on behalf of immigrants and all our communities,” said Carlton Huff, Lead Organizer of Metro Justice, in a statement to Documented. “But if we don’t unequivocally support NYIC staff’s fight for economic justice and fairness, how can we expect staff to advocate for economic justice and fairness for others?”
Founded in 1987, NYIC serves over 2.5 million immigrant New Yorkers across the state. Leaders of some of the state’s most influential unions serve on NYIC’s board of directors, including 32BJ SEIU and the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board. NYIC was one of the organizers of this year’s International Workers’ Day celebration.
