On Friday, Feb. 16, members of Nava United (NU)/OPEIU voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement, which will bring unprecedented job security protections to more than 180 staff members at Nava PBC. Nava United is now the largest recently organized unit of private sector tech workers under contract in the United States. Now, city, state and federal governments can hire Nava when they want the quality work of a union shop. 

In addition to securing many of the current benefits Nava workers enjoy, such as unlimited sick leave, the contract provides new benefits, including across-the-board wage increases and just cause protections. This contract follows the lead of other OPEIU tech units, moving to establish certain protections as the new standard for unionized tech workers, including no intrusive monitoring, limiting the use of contracted and temporary workers in favor of full-time employees, and transparency around compensation and promotions. 

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Why It Matters:
Nurses at the community hospital say that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve been overwhelmed with patient numbers, leading to high rates of burnout among staff and negative impact on patient care. This is the issue that lies at the core of HNA’s unfair labor practice strike after months of failed contract negotiations with management.

“We just want the management to bargain with us. They’re not bargaining in good faith. It’s their way or the highway, and that’s not bargaining,” Paulette Vasu, HNA treasurer and a labor and delivery nurse at Kapiolani, said.

Students from union families applying for or currently attending college, university, technical or trade school also can apply for a Union Plus Scholarship. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $4,000.

Joanna Escalante (left) is a California School Employees Association (CSEA) member and a candidate for a master’s in sociology. Escalante hopes to become an instructor at the community college where she currently serves as an administrative assistant. She has a special interest and background in working with students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness. Baylor Sampson (center) grew up in a union family. His father has been an Ironworkers member in Ohio for more than 30 years. Sampson is majoring in computer science with the goal of working in cybersecurity and protecting people like his grandparents, who endured financial strain after an online security breach. Sampson’s dedication to his work inspired him to be passionate about his own educational path. Chareese Miller (right), a competitive soccer player and an exercise science major, has an ultimate goal. It is to become a physical therapist. Her mother is an AFGEmember in Atlanta. Miller said her desire to help others stems from her mother’s AFGE involvement as a steward and local vice president.

Current and retired union members, their spouses and their dependent children are eligible to apply for a Union Plus Scholarship. Applications are due Jan. 31 by noon ET. Learn more and apply at unionplus.org/scholarship