UE150 Fights for $15/hour

Nov 11, 2015

UE150 workers in different parts of North Carolina protested for Fight for $15 movement! Here are pictures from UE 150 workers at Fight for $15 rallies in North Carolina.

 

UE150 Fight for $15 Durham 2UE150 Workers at Durham Fight for $15 Rally

 

UE150 Protest 3UE150 Workers and allies at Rocky Mount Fight for $15 Rally

 

Caswell ProtestUE150 Workers at Kinston Fight for $15 Rally

Here are news stories from DHHS Caswell Center rally at Kinston city hall for $15/hr, union rights, and Black Workers Lives Matter.

Caswell Center workers seek raises, overtime pay, better working conditions

“Understaffed and underpaid is a sentiment spread wide across state government, and Tuesday workers from Caswell Developmental Center gathered outside Kinston City Hall on to say something about it.

The event, organized by their union — United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers Local 150 — meant to call attention to, as the signs said, “safety, rights and raises.”

Peggy Price said she’s worked at Caswell for nearly 20 years and finds it a wonderful place to work, and said she and her coworkers enjoy working there.”

“Price and her fellow workers called for a $15-per-hour minimum wage and proper pay for overtime instead of comp time.

“And it’s not just, to me, just dealing with (mandatory overtime),” Price said. “Some get the choice to say they’re not going to do it. And the supervisors accept that. And then a lot of us, if we say we’re not going to do it, we get penalized — written up, possibility of suspension or maybe even terminated. We just want fairness out there and the pay that we deserve.””

http://www.kinston.com/article/20151111/NEWS/151119924/14880/NEWS

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 State Workers Rally for Higher Wages and Union Rights

WCTI.com, 11/10/15

“Clarke-Hines and all of the protesters in Kinston Tuesday work at Caswell Developmental Center, a state-run mental health facility. They’re also a part of a public service workers union, UE Local 150. They’re demanding pay raises to $15 an hour, adequate staff and equipment on the job that would prevent injuries they say, and union rights. But because North Carolina is a “right to work” state and not unionized, these workers are taking a risk publicly voicing their concerns.”

“Concerning pay, workers say $15 an hour would be a good start but even higher pay is actually needed to survive. Many have second jobs. Some of the people we spoke with have been in these jobs for more than 10 years.

According to the union the average wage for state workers right now is $12.25 an hour.”

http://www.wcti12.com/news/state-workers-rally-for-higher-wages-and-union-rights/36376464

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Employees Protest for Higher Wages in Kinston

WNCT.com, 11/10/15

“The workers were calling on local and state governments to increase wages to $15 an hour, and pay them for overtime. They said many DHHS employees are forced to work overtime, but don’t get paid for it.

The group also was calling on the government to give them union rights, internationally recognize the right for public workers to collectively bargain, give employees the right to have a representative in grievance meetings, and have enough staff and proper equipment to make the work environment safer.

Some protesting feel as if this was a racial issue.

“You can be a model employee, never be later, never call in, you know, but in their eyes, you’re not human,” said Peggy Price.”

http://wnct.com/2015/11/10/employees-protest-for-higher-wages-in-kinston/

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Caswell Center Union Members Stage Protest

WITN.com, 11/10/15

“Union members at the Caswell Developmental Center in Kinston protested low wages during a gathering at city hall Tuesday.

Union members called for wages of at least $15.00 per hour.

Officials say a large majority of Department of Health and Human Services employees make less than $12.25 an hour.

A big topic at the event was overtime. Many employees said they do not get paid for working extra hours and instead get compensatory time and are forced to work two jobs.

Bonita Johnson has been a DHHS member for 17-years and wants to see some change. She says, “So that we can make a change in our life on these jobs where these people are robbing us of our money, robbing us of our, making us feel like nobody. Working us like slaves. Treating us like slaves.””

http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Caswell-Center-union-members-stage-protest-345329242.html

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