New York, N.Y. (Feb. 18, 2020) – The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, is proud to announce today that 85 engineers, directors, analysts, designers, coordinators and customer support specialists and others at Kickstarter have voted to affiliate with OPEIU Local 153 in New York, becoming one of the first unions for tech workers in U.S. history.

The workplace issues that more than one year ago spurred the creation of the new union’s organizing committee, known as Kickstarter United (KSRU), are identical to the issues resonating with professionals throughout the unorganized tech industry. Kickstarter employees felt their employer, a public benefit corporation, should live up to the foundational progressive values it espouses by ensuring trust and transparency from management, guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, implementing more inclusive hiring practices and giving employees a voice in the decision-making process,

“We believe unionizing provides a path toward furthering all of our goals,” said Oriana Leckert, a KSRU spokesperson who is a senior journalism outreach lead at the company. “It was truly an honor to get to have deep conversations with so many of my colleagues around these issues. Utilizing our collective power to improve our workplace and our professional lives will increase Kickstarter’s ability to have a radical, positive impact on society by allowing us all to advocate for workers’ rights, which is a core pillar of the fight against inequality.”

Our sisters and brothers at the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) need our help! On Feb. 25, postal workers and the communities they serve will be standing up for our public Postal Service. See below to learn how you can help protect one of America’s most cherished institutions.

The USPS Fairness Act (H.R. 2382) passed the House of Representatives last week with a huge two-thirds majority.

A bipartisan vote of this size could not have happened without the work of hundreds of thousands of people just like you across the country. The message is clear. Our elected leaders must take the unfair prefunding mandate off of the back of the USPS.

Let’s savor this win, but we must remember there is more work to do. We need all of our strength to get the USPS Fairness Act’s companion bill, S. 2965 passed in the Senate. That’s why we are organizing a nationwide call-in day on Feb. 25.

Take advantage of President’s Day auto deals happening now. Use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want, and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership.

Learn more: https://unionplus.deals/gcm  

Applications now are being accepted for the 2020 OPEIU educational scholarships, and all members are encouraged to apply. Full details, rules and applications can be found at OPEIU.org under the Member Resources link, as well as on the OPEIU app*.

Are you or someone you know in need of scholarship money? Don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2020 Union Plus Scholarship! Current and retired members of participating unions, their spouses and their dependent children are eligible to apply. Apply now before the January 31 deadline:

https://unionplus.deals/de4

Make 2020 the year you learn more. The unique assistance benefits of Union Plus Life Insurance policies provide extra peace of mind for union families.See what life insurance can do for your family.
Learn more: https://unionplus.deals/6fb

Enjoy union power with every purchase this holiday season when you choose the Union Plus Credit Card Program. With three different card options, all with competitive rates, and 24/7 U.S. - based phone customer service, there’s a card option designed to meet your needs.

Learn more : https://unionplus.deals/5ef4d

The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, is shocked and deeply saddened by the death of Richard “Rick” Cutshaw, a longtime field representative with OPEIU Local 100 in Miramar, Fla.

Cutshaw was an innocent bystander tragically killed Thursday in the crossfire between policy and jewelry store robbers who had hijacked a UPS truck. Cutshaw dedicated his entire career to the labor movement, serving with Local 100 for the past 18 years where he represented more than 2,500 Miramar government supervisory employees in Broward County, Naples, Port St. Lucie, Miami Dade and at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Previously, he worked for many years with UFCW Local 1459 in Massachusetts.

 

OPEIU is pleased to announce the introduction of a new membership benefit, the OPEIU Low-Cost Degree Program.

OPEIU members and their families can now get their bachelor’s degree for much less through the new OPEIU Low-Cost Degree Program. OPEIU has partnered with Central State University, a public college near Dayton, Ohio, to bring members and their families an online bachelor’s degree in business administration or teacher education (Pre-K to 5th grade) for no more than $4,500 out-of-pocket per year for a full-time student, often significantly less. These costs include all tuition, fees and e-textbooks.

Washington, D.C. – Union Plus recently awarded $170,000 in scholarships to 108 students representing 34 unions, including one winner representing the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). This year’s group of scholarship recipients includes university, college, and trade or technical school students from 31 states plus the District of Columbia. The OPEIU winner is:

• Zachary Rambo of Ovid, Michigan. Rambo, whose mother, Dianna Rambo, is a member of OPEIU Local 459, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.