What Your Vote Means

It’s important to understand exactly what a union is, what you’re voting for, and why your coworkers are fighting so hard to unionize at CRPA.

Unionizing gives workers power.

Workers deserve a chance to have a say in decisions that affect them. Furthermore, companies should not be able to change rules whenever they feel like it. Workers can accomplish this with a union contract.

Think about it: when you rent or buy a house, when you buy or lease a car, when you purchase a phone, you have to sign a contract. Employment should be no different. You deserve to have a contract with CRPA where the working conditions, wage improvements, healthcare, and benefits are guaranteed in writing!

At a time when healthcare is short-staffed and workers are worn out from dealing with COVID-19, CRPA should be going out of their way to give you the benefits you deserve — or at the bare minimum, listen and address your concerns. Filling out surveys and having nothing change shows you how much they value your opinions. Unionizing is going to help you gain that voice. A union contract will force them to listen.

This election **does not** make you a union member.

The question on the ballot will say:

“Do you wish to be represented for collective bargaining by United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 152?”

The options will be “Yes” or “No.”

This question is simply asking if you choose UFCW Local 152 to have the opportunity to represent you to bargain a contract.

You and/or your coworkers will still need to sit down with representatives from UFCW Local 152 and representatives from CRPA to negotiate and bargain a contract.

After a tentative contract is made, there will be a second election where you would vote “yes” or “no” to accept it. It’s not until after this second election that you would become a union member.

So again, this first election is simply giving UFCW Local 152 the opportunity to negotiate a contract.

Companies hate unions and will do whatever they can to talk you out of joining one.

Unions give workers power, but management wants to keep control. If a union could not help you, CRPA wouldn’t care if you joined a union!

1. CRPA may try to intimidate or scare you from joining the union. They may even hire a professional union-busting firm and pay a professional tens of thousands of dollars to hold mandatory meetings in an attempt to persuade you from unionizing.
2. CRPA may also try to become your new best friend. Management that has never acknowledged you before may suddenly take great interest in your problems at work. This is so they can offer you a quick fix, an empty promise to try and make you change your mind about joining the union.

It’s no coincidence. Don’t fall for their desperation.

Nearly 500 workers at Cape Regional Medical Center — the same parent company as CRPA right next door— have been gaining union benefits for 40 years!