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OPEIU LOCAL 459
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“To improve living standards for working people, their families, and communities while fighting for fairness and financial stability and building unity through social justice.”
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Resources, training, and your rights as a Shop Steward
Due to the tireless effort of dedicated nurses at Bronson Behavioral Health Hospital in Battle Creek, they have won recognition of their Union and representation by Local 459! The team of workers leading the movement stayed in close and consistent contact with their organizer to decidedly overcome the confusion and fear circulating in the days leading up to their vote, culminating to an impressive and overwhelming margin of victory! The table is now set and workers have a seat at it to improve conditions for themselves, their patients, their families, and their communities. Congratulations and welcome to OPEIU Local 459!!!
Ecology Center staff have elected to join OPEIU Local 459! This group consists of leaders in the fight for environmental sustainability. We are proud to welcome them as members and partner with them in the important work they do. You can learn more about how to get involved by signing up to receive email updates from the Center https://www.ecocenter.org/sign-email
Also, Air Quality Awareness Week 2026 is just around the corner, and we encourage you to be a part of it. Follow the link for a list of events: https://cleartheairmi.org/events/
Congratulations to the Financial Plus Credit Union for a 3-year contract. A special thank you to the team: Vicky Lawson, Doretta Alexander, Lauren Mills, Jacob Sohn, and Service Representative Paul Brooks (not pictured Christina Espinoza). This team fought hard for the members of OPEIU/ Financial Plus Credit Union.
Local 459 is proud to announce that a child of Lesley Jarecki-Krause, RN at McLaren Greater Lansing since 2004, is a recipient of the Howard Coughlin scholarship. Watch your mailboxes for the fall edition of OPEIU Connect for further details.
Latest News
Regular meetings of the Union shall be held three (3) times a year on the second Tuesday of the month in March, July, and November after the Executive Board meeting. In the election year of the Executive Board, additional meetings will be held, in person, the second Tuesday of August for nominations for Executive Board and the second Tuesday of October for the election.
Newsletters
Nov 2020 – Apr 2021 Newsletter
Vote Yes on Proposed Constitutional Changes The Local 459 Constitution was last amended in February of 2017. Since that time, many changes have occurred with the OPEIU International Constitution. The Executive Board believed that there were enough changes that it...
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Thinking Like an Organizer
Shop stewards are the face of the union for most members – the people members see day to day, and rely on for everything from basic questions about the job to handling complicated grievances.
But stewards are also in a great position to strengthen the union by getting more people involved: by thinking like an organizer.
Meet with activists from different unions across the country to learn about how to be more effective stewards by organizing. This workshop is intended for stewards and elected officers who work closely with stewards. Please register only if this applies to you
When: Monday, August 10th
Time: 8:00 – 9:30pm EST
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom
Workshop hosted by Labor Notes ($10 registration fee covered by the Local)
Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II
We will cover the basics of building a Contract Action Team (CAT), putting together an escalating campaign (potentially culminating in a strike), and dynamics between the bargaining committee, CAT, and the membership.
This workshop is for union members looking to build their skills for contract campaigns. We recommend that you register with a group of your coworkers if possible.
This workshop has limited capacity and is for stewards and elected officers who work with stewards—not staff. Please register only if this applies to you.
When: Wednesdays, September 2nd and 9th
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm EST
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom
Workshop hosted by Labor Notes ($15 registration fee covered by the Local)
Contact Ronda at rackerson@local459.org or 517-887-8844 to register.