TROY — Less than a year after what quickly turned into an acrimonious labor battle, executives of the Capital Roots non-profit community nutrition organization say they are no longer recognizing the union that has been trying to get a contract since it was first recognized in July 2022.
“A majority of bargaining unit employees have notified Capital Roots that they no longer desire to be represented by SEIU Local 200 United,” reads part of a letter on Thursday from Capital Roots Board of Directors President Anoush Koroghlian Scott to union organizer Sean Collins.
Rank-and-file employees requested to leave the union on Wednesday, according to a statement from Capital Roots.
“SEIU’s divisive tactics took a serious toll on staff morale, and sadly we lost some valued employees as a result,” they said.
“They felt that the union was not acting in the best interest of the organization and moving the organization forward,” CEO Amy Klein said.
Collins said the union planned to appeal the move before the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees union drives and elections as well as other aspects of employer-employee relationships. The union also has received some two-dozen complaints pending regarding efforts to settle on a labor contract.
“We are incredibly disappointed but not surprised by the unilateral and unlawful withdrawal of union recognition. It is yet another example of Chief Executive Officer Amy Klein’s pattern of retaliation and union-busting,” he said in a prepared statement.
Collins added that many of the employees who were at Capital Roots when the union first gained recognition in 2022 have since left or been dismissed. “Not a lot of folks work there,” said Collins.
Much of the original push for unionization came from employees who said they needed better wages and wanted…
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