PCA union voting set for August

The state Bureau of Mediation Services today announced the timetable for a vote among personal care assistants and other subsidized, in-home health care workers on whether to form a statewide union.

Under the bureau’s election order, ballots will be mailed to the homes of eligible workers on Friday, Aug. 1. All ballots must be returned by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25. State officials will count the votes on Aug. 26.

Organizers of the union drive delivered 9,000 signed election cards last week to trigger balloting process. There are about 26,000 workers who are eligible to vote. If approved, the new bargaining unit would be represented by the Service Employees International Union.

The union push is moving forward in spite of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that said similar workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay any union dues if they object.

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