In a victory for remote workers in the labor movement, employees at SEIU’s National Call Center recently ratified their first union contract as members of the newly formed UWUA Local 112.
The unit consists of nine part-time employees spread across seven states. These workers specialize in conducting campaigns for a large national education union and its locals, including membership outreach, get-out-the-vote efforts, and political fundraising.
Organizing began in 2023, motivated by concerns over job security and a desire to build community among the geographically dispersed workforce. “As part of our daily work, we were doing outreach to our client union’s members, and we felt like we should have union representation for ourselves,” said Liam Tanchick, Local 112’s newly-elected president.
Tanchick credits UWUA Organizing Director Deirdre Brill with helping pull everything together: “Her background with the American Federation of Teachers proved particularly valuable given our focus on education union members.” After receiving card check recognition in spring 2023, the unit strategically delayed contract negotiations until their employer secured a stable contract with its client unions.
The newly ratified two-year agreement includes significant improvements in compensation and working conditions. Upon ratification, wages increased 6%. There are guaranteed increases of 5% scheduled at the end of year one and 4% at the contract’s conclusion, plus annual performance incentives ranging from $250 to $2,000. The agreement also establishes premium pay for language interpretation and early shifts, introduces 14 paid holidays, and provides paid bereavement leave and jury duty.
Particularly noteworthy for remote workers are provisions addressing scheduling stability and equipment. The agreement requires advance schedule notice and guarantees four hours of pay for last-minute shift cancellations. A letter of agreement also commits to furnishing headsets and ongoing discussions about equipment needs.
UWUA Senior National Representative Valerie King worked with a contract committee comprised of Tanchick, Mari Johnston, and Ralph Lewis to secure these gains.
This agreement could serve as a model for organizing other remote workers, demonstrating that geographic dispersion need not be a barrier to effective union representation and collective bargaining.