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WORKERS AT LA CASA DE DON PEDRO IN NEWARK VOTE ‘CWA YES’

la casaOn January 20, in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the workers at La Casa de Don Pedro in Newark voted overwhelmingly to join the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. The nearly 60 workers in La Casa’s Early Childhood Division voted 41 to 9 to join Local 1037!

The newly-organized group includes teachers, assistant teachers, administrative assistants, receptionists, drivers, family workers, janitors, cooks, substitutes, and wraparound staff.

Workers at La Casa will join the 1,000 other child care providers and 10,000 workers all together already represented by CWA Local 1037.

A strong internal committee led the organizing effort from the start. After workers demanded recognition using a mission statement signed by the majority of the workers,  they stuck together right through to today’s election.

“I’m so proud of my colleagues for standing in solidarity to build our union,” said Diame Gonzalez, who works at La Casa de Don Pedro’s Broadway location. “Now the real work begins. As we move into contract negotiations, we will fight to improve our wages and working conditions, and we will fight to expand resources for the child care services we provide and improve the learning conditions for the children in our classrooms. This is a victory for us and it is a victory for the families we serve.”

CWA represents 700,000 workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including 70,000 workers throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey Communities United is a progressive, grassroots community organization committed to building power for low and moderate income people, predominantly in Newark.