Media Center

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. 

Complete your bachelor’s degree for free when you enroll in the summer 2020 term*.Unemployed, furloughed or laid off union members and their extended families are still eligible to enroll in the Union Plus Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program. Summer classes begin May 18, 2020.*Students may enroll part time, but continuous enrollment is required.Students must complete the FAFSA and the financial aid process.

https://unionplus.deals/h7q

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

Enroll by June 22 and OPEIU Will Ensure it Costs You Nothing to Complete Your Degree

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.

It's more important than ever to stay connected to your union and its valuable resources. The OPEIU app is a great way to access helpful COVID-19 resources, learn more about your membership benefits, find links to OPEIU’s social media networks and much more. The app is available for free download for iPhones at the App Store and for Android devices at Google Play by searching OPEIU

Our friends at the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have developed some resources to help parents support their students' distant learning during this pandemic. You'll find some helpful lessons and tools for kids in pre-K through 12th grade. And remember, OPEIU has put together some resources to help you navigate this crisis. Visit opeiu.org and click on the COVID-19 Outbreak Resources link.

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.)