Dear Sisters and Brothers, 

In the past couple of days, a few of you have reached out to us about the “contract” letter you recently received from Athena, outlining your rate of pay and the benefits you will receive over the next year.  

Don’t panic!  

Athena is clearly making another attempt to frighten you about your employment status and trying to make you vote against the union.

They are also showing you, through this letter, that they see you as second-class citizens. By pointing out that you are not an employee of Montgomery County, they are also telling you that you are not entitled to any of the same workplace rights and benefits as Montgomery County employees - the people who are doing the same jobs as you in the same buildings.

Don’t let Athena sell you short.

You are valuable and you deserve the same compensation, rights, protections and respect as Montgomery County employees. Remember, you are all getting paid with the same checkbook (Montgomery County tax dollars), and in our eyes, the DHHS union members and the citizens of Montgomery County that you serve, YOU ARE MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES!

Feel free to return their so-called “contract.” By signing it, you are not precluding yourself from voting for the union on January 10. You still have the right to a voice on the job and you will still have the right to vote for the union. 

If you have any worries, please call me at (202)-207-5787, Donald Minor (804)-869-3260 or Alejandro Miranda (202)-341-3455.

 

In Solidarity,

Raymun Lee
Associate Coordinator of Organizing