Workers at Ironwood school in Morrill seek to form union
Workers at Ironwood Maine, an adolescent mental health treatment program and school in the Waldo County town of Morrill, have sought to form a union in a move they say would improve wages, working conditions and care standards.
A supermajority of workers at Ironwood filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to organize as part of the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, which represents 12,000 workers at state agencies and social service groups. The new union would be called Ironwood United if an election is successful.
“We are Ironwood employees working together to ensure that we have a fair say at our institution, for ourselves and for our residents. We are forming our union because we want Ironwood to fulfill its mission and succeed, and we know that cannot happen if we do not have a seat at the table,” employees said in a statement.
They said they asked Ironwood management to voluntarily recognize the union on Monday, but the request was declined. Now, the NLRB will schedule a secret ballot election.
Ironwood employees say that by forming a union they believe they will have more of a say on how to improve conditions for both staff and residents.
“Too many of our coworkers have left due to dissatisfaction, low pay, and poor working conditions. High turnover has added more work for those of us who remain, diminishing our capacity to provide quality learning and living conditions for our residents. By forming our union, we establish a means to improve these conditions and therefore protect the Ironwood we know and love,” the statement said.
Ironwood officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
“While there are certainly short-term issues our union will need to address, a major motivation for me is the long-term improvements we’ll be able to make for our residents and staff. My intention is to make Ironwood a better workplace for future staff, and a better program for residents,” said Ronanne Haigh, a direct care provider at Ironwood.
Ironwood is a licensed residential mental health treatment program and fully licensed and accredited school designed specifically for adolescents, ages 13-17. Its year-long program offers intensive therapy along with customized and accredited academics.
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