Frequently Asked Questions

Four UWIC members in gray shirts that read "UWIC CWA" in front of a beige wall,

A labor union is an organization of workers who join together to have a voice on the job and to be able to advocate for the issues that matter to them. Studies have shown that union members make significantly more money than non-union workers, have stronger job security, and are able to win improvements for themselves, the work they do, and the people they serve.
Absolutely! Under Texas law, all employees, regardless of where we work, have the right to form and join unions. In 2022, Integral Care’s Board of Trustees adopted an “Employee Consultation Policy” proposed by UWIC-CWA. This Consultation Policy gives our union official status with Integral Care Executive Management and creates a joint union-management committee called the ICCC (more about that below).

What’s more, both the IC Board and Executive Management have publicly endorsed the right of all Integral Care employees to join a labor union. Any current employee in the position of Program Manager and below is welcome to join us. Anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to contact the union here.
As public sector employees in Texas we are not able to engage in collective bargaining and will not be legally protected if we choose to strike. However, there are other ways we can act together to win changes at our agency. Our grassroots organizing and mobilizing efforts have already won pay raises and increased safety for staff and clients as well as official recognition for our union from the Board. We can continue using the platform that the Consultation Policy gives us to bring forward the issues that matter most to us. This approach combined with using the power of all of us standing together and political pressure from supportive elected officials is a path to winning policy changes without collective bargaining.
Communications Workers of America (CWA) is one of the largest unions in Texas and represents workers in private and public sector employment in 1,200 chartered local unions nationwide. Here in Central Texas, CWA members work at the Austin State Hospital, Austin State Supported Living Center, Austin/Travis County EMS, UT Austin, AT&T, Google, KLRU, and various non-profit advocacy organizations. CWA is a democratic union, meaning members determine their own goals and issues to work towards and elect their own leadership.

Our union (United Workers of Integral Care) is affiliated with CWA as Local 6154 because our union wouldn’t exist without the support and solidarity of CWA members and staff.
In order to vote in union elections, run for a leadership position, or have a say in setting the goals of our union, you must be a dues-paying member. Union members voted to adopt the following monthly dues levels based on annual income:
$10/month (relief/part-time)
$15/month (< $39,000)
$23/month ($40,000-$49,999)
$27/month ($50,000-$59,999)
$35/month ($60,000-$74,999)
$50/month ($75,000-$99,999)
$60/month (> $100,000)
Most of our dues stay with our local union, and will be used as union members see fit (including trainings, education, office space, staff time, supplies, etc). The percentage that goes to the national union supports legal representation, worker advocacy at the national level, and to help organize other workers seeking unionization.

To become a dues-paying UWIC member, please use the secure form located here.
Texas law states that a person cannot be denied employment due to membership or non-membership in a labor union. This means that no employees can legally be fired or retaliated against for union activity.
The Integral Care Consultation Committee (I.C.C.C.) is a joint union/executive management committee that meets monthly to discuss any and all issues the union decides to bring forward related to employee compensation, working conditions, and client care. The ICCC is composed of the CEO and four members of Executive Management, the President of the union, and four other union representatives that we choose as a union. The goal of the ICCC is to discuss issues that are important to employees and craft policy proposals to take to the Board for possible adoption.

Two people holding up a UWIC shirt in front of a beige wall

As union members and employees, we are all devoted to our mission here at Integral Care. We need a unified employee voice to advocate for the clients we serve as well as ourselves. We seek to elevate Integral Care and to make it a better place to work and receive care.
We are organizing for our health and safety and that of our clients; studies show that client outcomes are better at health care facilities with unions. Workers with collective power can provide a crucial voice of first-hand experience when executives are making decisions about our work. Strengthening that voice will improve Integral Care for our entire community.
Furthermore, together we can help create positive changes for Integral Care and the community we serve by advocating for increased funding and legislative changes at the local, state, and federal government levels.
The real question is what will we do for ourselves? Separate and alone, there is not much we can do. Together we are building an independent organization of Integral Care workers to advocate for ourselves and the people we serve. Together we will set our priorities, including:
- Client and worker safety
- Equitable wages, benefits and working conditions
- Fair representation to insure justice on the job
- Public funding for our clients and programs
United Workers of Integral Care (UWIC-CWA) is for all non-executive management employees (Program Managers and below) in every department at every Integral Care location. If you believe that improving our workplace will create better client outcomes, join the union. If you want to build an independent organization to fight for more public funding for mental health, addiction treatment, and housing, join the union. If you think advocating for our staff will make Integral Care a better place to give and receive services, join the union. Together we will have more power in addressing issues for all Integral Care employees.
In addition to the strong legal rights we all have under Texas law to join and be active in our union, we also have a positive relationship with CEO David Evans and the Integral Care Board of Trustees. Any retaliation against employees for union activity would not only be illegal, it would go against the public statements and policies adopted by the IC Board.
Under Integral Care’s Employee Consultation Policy we all have the right to talk with our coworkers about the union in work spaces while we are on a break. We are also able to have official union events like information tables and lunch meetings in work spaces with prior approval from a manager.
It is illegal under Texas law for public employees (like Integral Care employees) to go on strike. Doing so would put our jobs at risk. UWIC-CWA does not claim the right to strike.
You can join here. Dues are $10-$60 per month, depending on your salary. All union members are invited to come to our monthly membership meeting on the last Wednesday of each month at 7pm over Zoom. Members will receive instructions via email on how to join the meeting each month.
We, as union members here at Integral Care, will run our union. We will vote on big decisions in our monthly membership meetings. We will vote on really big decisions at our biennial convention called the Steward Assembly. And we will vote on our union president, officers, and stewards to help run the day-to-day operations of our union.
We know that our movement will be so much stronger when all Texas mental health authority employees form unions like ours. We proudly encourage them to reach out and let us know how we can support them in their efforts to form unions.
If you work at or know someone who works at another mental health authority in Texas, contact integralcareunion@gmail.com so we can put you in touch with a CWA organizer.