By Mike Lee

Anxious to see contract negotiations concluded over wage increases this year, Local 215 Social Service Employees at Constructive Partnerships Unlimited organized a workplace solidarity action on Jan. 30 at four worksites across Queens and Brooklyn to send a clear message: we need a raise we can live on!

The workers at Constructive Partnerships, many of whom earn just above minimum wage, care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in residential settings throughout New York City and the surrounding area.

Bargaining Committee members previously described to management the difficulties of surviving on the salaries they currently earn. Employees work overtime, or take second and even third jobs, while still struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families.

Now, the workers are mobilizing across multiple worksites to demand a wage increase that reflects the reality of the costs of living and the essential nature of their work. With negotiations underway, the workers expressed their solidarity and resolve that they deserve dignity in the workplace.

Andy Caze, manager in the Non-Profit & Private Sector Field Services Division, is confident the Constructive Partnerships workers will succeed in their demand for fair pay increases.

“They are a dedicated group of shop stewards and committee members,” he said. “The employees continue to show support and solidarity, and they are willing to escalate workplace actions when the bargaining committee asks them to. The unit remains committed to workplace actions until management meets our demands.”

The Jan. 30 workplace action showcased the members’ solidarity, with 90% of the workforce participating by wearing DC 37 green T-shirts and demonstrating their motivation as a unified group. By mobilizing, the members are expressing the power of “all for one and one for all,” which is critical to securing a contract that will meet their basic needs.

“Although these workers are physically isolated, they are putting on those T-shirts, proudly taking pictures, and sending them around to one another— the solidarity is clear,” said Daniel Katz, DC 37 Research & Negotiations Director. “They’re standing up, showing they’re not afraid and not giving up. I feel confident that our members are going to stick together until we can get a reasonable, decent, and livable wage increase.”

This article originally appeared in the January-March 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.