Spring Holz Houston, a former Pathfinders employee, shared their experience at the Pathfinders Employee Collective rally on Aug. 4. (Photo by PrincessSafiya Byers)
By PrincessSafiya Byers
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News, Service where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
Pathfinders serves Milwaukee’s most vulnerable youths – those facing homelessness.
The group helps raise up young people’s voices and experiences and serves them through a trauma-informed lens.
Now, some Pathfinders employees are asking for the same treatment as they work to form a union.
The Pathfinders Employee Collective held a rally earlier this month, sharing their respect for the agency’s mission, their care for the youths they serve and their need for stronger and healthier working conditions.
“Our working conditions are our young people’s living conditions,” a spokesperson said at the rally.
What’s happening
Advocates for the union said their concerns include the agency’s struggles with staff retention, insufficient training, abrupt or retaliatory terminations and inconsistent wages and raises.
NNS reached out to Pathfinders for comment about the union and staff concerns over working conditions but did not receive a response.
Employees said improved working conditions, compensation and job security would allow staff to better focus on supporting the young people served by Pathfinders, a demanding but vital role.
Pathfinders staff and OPEIU Local 39, a progressive union working with staff, delivered a voluntary recognition request to Pathfinders leaders on July 30.
“Pathfinders management was presented by unionizing workers with a request for voluntary recognition and proof of majority support,” said Evan McKenzie, an organizer with OPEIU Local 39. “If the employer refuses to recognize the union, the workers will participate in a National Labor Relations Board election in the coming months.”
This means workers would choose to exercise their right to vote on whether a majority of them want a union to oversee them or not.
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created to enforce the National Labor Relations Act. The National Labor Relations Act is a federal law that grants employees the right to form or join unions.
Who is participating
Attendees of the recent rally included current and former staff, Pathfinders partners, local politicians and other supporters.
Megan Gulland, who has worked at Pathfinders for eight years, said she is advocating for the union because she believes it can only improve the work the organization is already doing.
“The work we do is so important,” she said. “Strengthening work conditions for the staff will allow us to serve our young people better.”
Spring Holz Houston said wrongful terminations impacted the young people they served.
Holz Houston said they were terminated for insubordination after refusing to fire someone whom they did not supervise.
Holz Houston also said workers are not allowed to speak to clients they had served for over three years.
“There was no closure for my clients, which is not trauma-informed for a place that brags about trauma-informed care practices and harm reduction,” Holz Houston said. “The staff at Pathfinders, by and far, do practice harm reduction and trauma-informed care, but management has not.”
State Rep. Ryan Clancy announced at the rally that he and 37 other Wisconsin legislators signed a letter in support of the Pathfinders’ staff.
“After speaking with staff, it is clear more than ever why a union is needed,” he said.
Milwaukee Ald. Alex Brower attended the rally and announced that he and several other members of the Common Council also signed a letter in support of the Pathfinders workers.
“We are not here to be against Pathfinders or the management of Pathfinders,” Gulland said. “We are all here because we love Pathfinders, we believe in the work and we want the work to be strong.”
Holz Houston hopes the union will improve conditions for everyone at Pathfinders.
“I love the work Pathfinders does, and staff burnout is so real and affects clients,” they said.