New York, N.Y. (May 1, 2020) – The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153 members at Kickstarter voted tonight to ratify a lay-off agreement with the crowdfunding company after CEO Aziz Hasan announced sweeping layoffs of up to 45 percent of employees.

The agreement won by Kickstarter United (KSRU) members outlines a range of procedures negotiated by the elected bargaining committee to help members impacted by layoffs, including:

•  Four months of severance pay for all laid-off employees;
• Four months of continued healthcare coverage for employees earning more than $110,001;
• Six months of continued healthcare coverage for employees earning $110,001 or less;
• Release from non-compete agreement upon accepting severance; and
• Recall rights of one year for members to return to any forthcoming job opening within their “classification,” and a number of other provisions. 

In Response to COVID-19 Pandemic:
OPEIU Members and Families Can Complete Bachelor's Degree
for Free This Summer

Because of the current economic and health uncertainty facing many of our members, your union is making it possible for all students who enroll through the OPEIU Low-Cost Degree Program at Central State University this summer to complete their degree with no out-of-pocket costs.

OPEIU members who enroll in the term beginning June 22 can do so under the same terms as the OPEIU Free College Program. All new and continuing students who are enrolled this summer will be eligible for a Free College last-dollar scholarship, which allows students to complete their degree (through graduation) with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition, fees or e-books. This represents a savings of more than $9,000.

We hear you: This is a tough time for parents and families who have school-age kids. With schools closed, some for the remainder of the year, families are learning how to support students’ distance learning and partner with their teachers and school staff while also juggling work and other responsibilities.

But it can be really hard. And that’s why the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO are partnering to provide union families with helpful lessons and tools for kids in pre-K through 12th grade who are now learning at home and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. We’d like to share these resources with you. We hope they’re helpful. (And please note, these resources are intended to supplement what your child’s teacher or school has already provided.)

(WXYZ) — Denied hazard pay while being forced to ration personal protective equipment, frontline health workers at McLaren Hospitals say company executives should sacrifice more than 2% in salary cuts.

Last week, McLaren announced layoffs for up to 20 operating and recovery room nurses and cut back hours for many of its doctors and physicians assistants.