Story and Photo by MIKE LEE

Persistence paid off when workers at the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) signed their first collective bargaining agreement on April 2.

The agreement covers the nearly 300 social workers, mental health clinicians, caseworkers, peer specialists, office managers, and administrative assistants working at the non-profit. CUCS provides mental health services, social support services, and supportive housing to New Yorkers in need.

This is the first union contract for CUCS workers who began an organizing campaign in 2021. After winning voluntary recognition in early March 2022, they formed a bargaining committee and commenced negotiations with management a few months later.

The process took two years and more than 35 bargaining sessions. Through dogged resistance to management’s demands, workers reached a settlement at the end of January 2025, and overwhelmingly ratified the three-year contract on March 14.

The bargaining committee focused primarily on wages and safety, which were top priorities for the workers who provide services for permanent housing as well as shelter and street outreach. The work they perform has different safety concerns.

Throughout the negotiations, the committee stayed in constant contact with members.

“We’re spread across about 25 work locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx,” said Jake Greenberg, a CUCS case manager and member of the bargaining committee. “We put a lot of energy into trying to have representatives from as many sites as possible on the bargaining committee. Over time, we built an email and phone list and sent regular contract updates to the membership. We held general membership meetings, chapter meetings, and happy hours.”

Before the contract agreement, workers at the non-profit institution earned between $20 and $35 per hour. Under the newly signed deal, management agreed to annual raises of 3% for each of the three years of the contract, including a 3% retroactive COLA from July 2024.

Other highlights of the contract include due process for disciplinary charges, support for work-related training and education, formation of labor-management and safety committees, and job protections, including grievance procedures, timely announcement of potential future layoffs, and limits on contracting out.

“We are proud to have established a Health & Safety Committee where members can bring the issues they deal with at their respective worksites directly to management,” Greenberg said.