Maximus Worker Speaks Out at Labor Day Event

Earlier this month, at a Labor Day event in Biloxi, Miss., a young Maximus federal call center worker spoke to a local station, WLOX, about what she needs from her government. With Election Day less than 50 days away, voters like wife and mother of three Christina Mack are focused on the candidates, the candidates’ plans, and how those plans will impact their lives.

Mack and other workers at Maximus are organizing with CWA to improve their wages, healthcare benefits, and working conditions.

“I want people to know that we’re not fighting against the government. We just want the government to do its job and support the people they’re supposed to represent. If you can’t represent our best interests, how are we supposed to trust you with our livelihoods, our families, our healthcare? Who’s keeping our children safe in school? The only light at the end of the tunnel is to go out and vote for those who stand for your issues. And it’s not just about you, either. It’s about your neighbors, your community. Everyone is affected, so choose the candidates who take care of the most people,” said Mack.

She stressed that job security is her number one issue this election season because “without job security, we can’t have healthcare, or food, or a working school system.”

Since beginning to organize for a union in 2017, Maximus workers have seen a reduction in their healthcare deductibles from $4,000 to $1,800, and an increase in their starting wages from $9 an hour to $17.20. Workers are still fighting for family-supporting wages, a clear path to career advancement, protections from abusive callers, and a right to organize. Instead of meeting them at the table, Maximus has persisted with anti-union emails and fear-mongering about potential site closures to slow their organizing efforts.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.