[Antiracism] [Workers' Rights] Rally/Picket by Mental Health Workers 3/20

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Wilder [mailto:bwilder at 509seiu.com] 
PLEASE FORWARD


SUPPORT M S P C C WORKERS!

Mental health workers employed by the Massachusetts Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) in Springfield, Holyoke,
Greenfield, and Pittsfield offices are holding a rally/picket on Thursday
March 20 from 4:00 to 6:00pm at MSPCC's Holyoke office, 230 Maple Street.
The workers belong to SEIU Local 509.

The concerns of the employees are:

There has been a severe loss of commitment by MSPCC to fulfill its mission
to help troubled low-income children and their familes throughout our
communities. In the last three years, MSPCC has closed their Chicopee and
Athol offices, and they are increasingly delaying, reducing, or denying
services in order to please insurance companies and DMH. In the last three
years, they have also shrunk our staff of mental health specialists by one
third (from 300 to 200) and our clinical therapists by 40%. 

You can't deliver services if you are closing offices, denying services, and
shrinking the staff.

And now MSPCC also wants to freeze wages PERMANENTLY for current salaried
clinicians and only hire new clinicians on a "fee-for-service" basis,
meaning they will have no paid time off and will be paid neither for any
hours when the client doesn't show up, nor any time doing the necessary
clinical paperwork, phone calls, etc. We believe this is another way to
drive out the staff while saving money for management's wages and benefits,
which are excellent.

Any support would be greatly appreciated!

Brian Wilder
SEIU Local 509
(617) 584-7755
(617) 924-8598 X 565

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