JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State mental health and veterans home workers rallied Wednesday in the Capitol to demand immediate recognition of their union under the terms of an executive order granting them collective bargaining rights.

Following the rally, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees submitted to the State Board of Mediation approximately 3,500 cards signed by workers who expressed interest in joining the union. Since that number represents nearly 70 percent of the 5,200 workers eligible to join, the union is asking the state to forgo an election and summarily declare it the official bargaining agent for those employees.

Speaking at the rally, which was attended by more than 100 union supporters, Velma Williams said the union would help employees secure back overtime pay, lower health insurance costs and other improvements. Williams is a certified nursing assistant at the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home, which according to the union owed its workers nearly $14,500 in back pay as of Dec. 31.

"We are now asking the state to recognize our union so we can go straight to the bargaining table and ask for better working conditions," Williams said.

State approval would create a "horizontal bargaining unit" among direct-care workers at mental-health facilities and veterans homes. Such units consist of workers in different state departments who do similar jobs and are authorized by Gov. Bob Holden's executive order on collective bargaining.

AFSCME already separately represents some workers in both veterans homes and mental health facilities.

John A. Birch, chairman of the state's mediation board, said the union is seeking a simple change in existing representation agreements to allow for a single horizontal bargaining unit.

"That could conceivably be done without an election, but we have to look into this matter," Birch said.

The mediation board will first consult with the Office of Administration, the state agency that negotiates with unions, to see if the state, as the employer, is amenable to the request.

If that situation doesn't pan out, as long as at least 30 percent of the members of the proposed bargaining unit have submitted valid cards an election would be held, Birch said.

The new bargaining unit would represent direct-care workers at 38 Department of Mental Health facilities and six veterans homes. Southeast Missouri institutions on that list include Cape Girardeau's Veterans Home, the Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center in Cape Girardeau and the Poplar Bluff and Sikeston regional centers, which care for those with mental retardation or developmental disabilities.

Direct-care workers include nursing assistants, psychiatric aides, developmental assistants and others who work with veterans, the elderly and the physically or mentally disabled.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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