NYC WORKERS WIN VOLUNTARY RECOGNITION WITH LOCAL 1180

NYC WORKERS WIN VOLUNTARY RECOGNITION WITH LOCAL 1180

The workers of Edible Schoolyard NYC scored a major victory in their efforts to unionize. The employer voluntarily recognized their union on January 22nd, paving the way for the workers to begin negotiations as members of CWA Local 1180. Edible Schoolyard NYC runs programs in City schools to teach kids about healthy eating through gardening and cooking fresh food. The new bargaining unit includes teachers, program and network managers, coordinators, and assistants.

Workers showed management their overwhelming unity and commitment to unionizing through letters, petitions, and meetings with management. In October they presented management with a petition demanding union recognition.

"We got fed up with a lack of pay parity, lack of transparency, and not having a voice over the issues that affected us," said Rosa Marruffo, Program Manager at PS7. "My coworkers and I decided that the best way to make our jobs more sustainable and fix problems was to organize so we could negotiate as equals with management and put everything in a contract.”