Preble Street Staff Demand Living Wages & End to Workplace Racism

Members of Preble Street United (Maine Service Employees Association - SEIU 1989) — a union representing 150 staff at Preble Street locations in Portland, Lewiston and Bangor — are calling on the organization to provide living wages, strengthen on-the-job training and address racism in the workplace. Preble Street provides support for Mainers experiencing poverty and homelessness at the organization’s drop-in centers, soup kitchens, food pantry and shelters. Preble Street workers unionized in 2019 and are currently negotiating their second contract.

“We’re entering our fifth week of negotiations and have yet to see much real movement from management on key issues, but we have faith that we will be able to work with the agency to find solutions to key issues such as racial equity, living wages, and better training for staff,” said Frankie St. Amand, an as-needed Preble Street staff member and MSEA-SEIU member organizer.

Staff complain that clients often target employees of color with hate speech and racist remarks, but management has failed to consistently hold them accountable and has refused to add protections from this kind of abuse in the new contract.

“I am usually the only white person on the third shift. I have witnessed my coworkers put up with blatant and discreet racism. I have heard disparaging and unacceptable slurs directed at my co-workers,” said Karen Dauphinais, a Preble Street as-needed staff member who works primarily at Florence House shelter in Portland. “Every day, we document clients’ use of hate speech directed at staff, but we often do not see management before we leave. After a ten-hour shift no-one wants to wait to talk to somebody. If anything is done about this hate speech, I am not aware of it, it certainly hasn’t decreased. No one should be subjected to the type of racism my co-workers face daily at work, it is intolerable.”

Dauphinais added that while Preble Street is “low-barrier” in that it makes assistance as easily accessible and user friendly as possible, it shouldn’t be “no barrier” when it comes to tolerating racism in the workplace.

As the costs of basic necessities like food, fuel and housing have increased dramatically in recent years, Preble Street employees are also seeking a wage structure that creates living wages and incentivizes recruitment and retention of qualified workers.

“Anxieties over basic living expenses, medical bills, student debt, rent, unforeseen bills, etc. are a constant among conversations with my colleagues,” said caseworker Lenoir Kelley. “It has been so empowering to come together as a union and advocate for a living wage. We are ready to collaborate with Preble Street management to ensure financial stability for all staff.”  

Preble Street Workers United are using an open bargaining structure that allows workers to join negotiation meetings to ensure transparency and to secure an equitable and just contract. The majority of the staff have been participating in negotiations to support the bargaining team, including wearing t-shirts, writing statements and watching negotiations over Zoom.