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OPEIU LOCAL 459
Our mission
“To improve living standards for working people, their families, and communities while fighting for fairness and financial stability and building unity through social justice.”
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Resources, training, and your rights as a Shop Steward
Ecology Center staff have elected to join OPEIU Local 459! This group consists of leaders in the fight for environmental sustainability. We are proud to welcome them as members and partner with them in the important work they do. You can learn more about how to get involved by signing up to receive email updates from the Center https://www.ecocenter.org/sign-email
Also, Air Quality Awareness Week 2026 is just around the corner, and we encourage you to be a part of it. Follow the link for a list of events: https://cleartheairmi.org/events/
It can be easy to forget how far the labor movement has come. The average job used to be much more dangerous, and workers used to have little to no protection. That’s why workers and unions fought and died for workplace safety regulations, to abolish child labor, and much more.
On this Workers Memorial Day, we don’t just mourn. We must step forward to hold the line. We must hold employers accountable to keep workers safe. We must demand more — not fewer — government resources to do this. We must demand dignity at work.
Latest News
Touchpoint Agreement Reached
We are proud to announce that the Touchpoint Negotiation Team has reached a Tentative Agreement, and it was ratified by our members on November 18, 2025. This marks the successful completion of a two-year contract with Touchpoint. Donna Gray, Calvin Parks, Tonya...
Aug 2025 Roundup
Constitutional Amendments
Regular meetings of the Union shall be held three (3) times a year on the second Tuesday of the month in March, July, and November after the Executive Board meeting. In the election year of the Executive Board, additional meetings will be held, in person, the second Tuesday of August for nominations for Executive Board and the second Tuesday of October for the election.
Newsletters
Nov 2020 – Apr 2021 Newsletter
Vote Yes on Proposed Constitutional Changes The Local 459 Constitution was last amended in February of 2017. Since that time, many changes have occurred with the OPEIU International Constitution. The Executive Board believed that there were enough changes that it...
Quick Benefits
Union Made Products
Calendar of Events
Organizational Strategies for a Healthier Workplace
The final episode examines how organizations play a critical role in advancing worker well-being. We will discuss policies, programs and leadership practices that integrate safety and health into the fabric of the workplace.
When: Thursday, June 25th
Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom
Workshop hosted by MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Opportunity (free).
Stronger Together: Building a Neurodiverse-Friendly Safety Committee
A strong workplace safety and health culture starts with employees who are engaged, informed and empowered to speak up. When everyone has a seat at the table, workplace safety and health gets stronger. Learn how to create and lead an effective safety committee that encourages participation, improves communication, and helps identify workplace hazards before incidents occur. Designed with neurodiverse-friendly strategies and accessible tools, this interactive online seminar will provide practical guidance to help ensure every employee voice is heard, including neurodivergent team members.
Topics include:
- Building an effective workplace safety committee
- Encouraging employee participation and engagement
- Improving communication and collaboration
- Identifying hazards and turning feedback into action
- Creating a more inclusive and accessible safety culture
When: Tuesday, June 30th
Time: 1:00 – 2:00pm EST
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom
Workshop hosted by MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Opportunity (free).
Assertive Grievance Handling
Fighting grievances is not only about how well you argue your case. It is also about organizing members to build pressure on management. This workshop will focus on how to win creatively without going to arbitration—or sometimes without even filing a grievance. Hear from stewards about how they have used grievances to organize their coworkers and talk with other labor activists about how to handle sticky situations.
This workshop has limited capacity and is for stewards and elected officers who work with stewards—not staff. Please register only if this applies to you.
When: Wednesday, July 15th
Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm EST
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom
Workshop hosted by Labor Notes ($10 registration fee covered by the Local).
Contact Ronda at rackerson@local459.org or 517-887-8844 to register.