More than 100 staffers from a Rhinebeck residential treatment facility will become part of NYSUT following a vote in which an overwhelming majority of employees at the Dutchess County center said "yes" to organizing.
The new unit, called the Astor Residential Staff Association, will include a wide variety of job titles from the Astor Residential Center - registered nurses, clinical specialists, social workers, licensed practical nurses, child care workers and activities and recreation specialists.
In a recent vote of 103 employees, 63 voted in favor of affiliating with NYSUT; 24 voted no, 14 did not vote and two contested.
The Astor Residential Center is a 24-hour, seven-day facility for children, ages 6-14, with disabilities. This is the third unit from Astor that NYSUT has organized in the recent past, and continues a push by the union to broaden the scope of member professions. The new Astor unit will now begin work on negotiating its first contract.