Our Wins
Victory for 24/7 Workers: Higher Shift Differentials Won!
3/06/2025
The United Workers of Integral Care (UWIC) has secured a major victory for all 24/7 employees at Integral Care: an increase of $3 per hour in shift differential pay! This win benefits crisis outreach teams, psychiatric emergency services, and many other critical care workers who provide life-saving support to our community. For too long, night and weekend shift workers have been undervalued, despite the demanding nature of their roles. Fair compensation for 24/7 crisis teams means stronger retention, better coverage, and improved access to life-saving mental health services. This is a crucial step toward building a more just and sustainable mental health system—one that prioritizes the well-being of both providers and the individuals we serve.
This victory was made possible through persistent organizing, strategic advocacy, and strong partnerships between workers, community allies, and elected officials. For months, the United Workers of Integral Care (UWIC) mobilized employees, gathered testimony, and met with Austin City Council members to push for fair compensation for 24/7 workers. Our efforts culminated in direct intervention from Austin City Council, who recognized the urgency of this issue and applied necessary pressure on Integral Care executives to do the right thing. By standing with our union and demanding better wages for crisis workers, the City Council helped ensure that those on the frontlines of mental health care receive the respect and compensation they deserve.
While this is a crucial step forward, our fight is not over. UWIC remains committed to securing ongoing, sustainable funding to ensure all crisis teams can operate at full capacity 24/7. Increased wages mean better staff retention, improved coverage, and greater accessibility for individuals in crisis. This victory is proof that when we organize, we win—not just for ourselves, but for the entire community.
Positive Performance Plan (PPP) Improvements: A Win for Fairness and Transparency
12/12/2024
After months of dedicated advocacy, we’re thrilled to announce major improvements to Integral Care’s Positive Performance Plan (PPP) — a significant victory for fairness, transparency, and employee support! Through our work towards Just Cause employment status and the addition of an Employee Ombudsman, we found great inadequacies in the PPP policy and the Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) policy. Our Union proposed changes to these policies to ensure that employees were given fair chance to dispute disciplinary action and terminations. This was incredibly necessary due to a pattern of retaliatory behavior by Integral Care managers and HR when employees made complaints towards managers or workplace culture. As well as, multiple instances of HR not honoring the right to Union representation during termination meetings.
These changes include the introduction of paid administrative leave during disciplinary actions when appropriate, providing employees with access to documents and evidence related to policy violations, and ensuring that the steps to challenge disciplinary actions are clearly explained. Supervisors are now required to hold follow-up meetings with employees after disciplinary actions to promote accountability and open communication. Additionally, there are now time limits for imposing discipline after an incident, and written details of specific policy violations must be provided to employees in disciplinary cases. To further support growth and development, supervisors must also document and share any additional support or training offered to help employees improve. HR will now provide the accommodations required to ensure Union representation is present during disciplinary meetings. Before termination, employees must receive written notice of potential reasons and have the opportunity to meet with HR to advocate for themselves, submit evidence, and provide a written response within 1–5 days of receiving the notice. Employee responses, evidence, and evidence against them will now be included in accessible personnel files, and termination notices must clearly state the policies violated. This evidence will be reviewed by HR and General Counsel, and then recommendations for next steps whether it be termination, suspension, or reversal of process will be made.
While these updates represent a major step forward, we are still advocating for additional changes. These include establishing an independent employee ombudsman, creating an appeals process outside of HR, allowing terminations to be appealed after they occur, and ending at-will employment for all employees. These improvements are a testament to the power of collective action and our commitment to creating a workplace that is fair, transparent, and supportive for everyone. Let’s celebrate these wins as we continue striving for even greater progress!