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Why unionize?
ABA workers are often overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. As the industry has expanded, the quality of our services have steadily declined as profits by big-box ABA companies have increased. Unethical practices, such as operating on skeleton crews, forcing ABA workers to accept as many clients as possible, and scheduling unreasonable hours has become the norm. The priority, it seems, is not the well-being of the clients or the workers, but the bottom line.
Together, we can organize to demand ethical, client-centered and provider-led care, similar to how Nurses, Teachers, and Doctors have led respective efforts in their fields. We can demand better pay, benefits, and working conditions. We can demand a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect our work. We can demand a voice in the industry that we have dedicated our lives to.
We can demand a union.
For RBTs
RBTs are the backbone of our industry. They work long hours, performing emotional and physical labor for their clients. They know their clients best, serve their families reliably, and are the first to step up in a crisis. They are the ones who implement treatment plans, and the ones who are most affected by the decisions of the higher-ups.
More importantly, they generate the majority of the revenue created by ABA companies. Without RBTs, there would be no ABA industry. Yet, RBTs are often paid the least, have the least amount of job security, and are the least likely to have a voice in the decisions that affect their work.
We believe that RBTs deserve better. We believe that RBTs deserve a union.
For BCBAs & BCaBAs
BCBAs are the heart of this industry. Before there was a certification board, the forerunners of our industry organized and demanded better standards of care in the mental health industry. There is a long-standing history of activism in our field, and we believe that BCBAs and BCaBAs can lead the charge in demanding better working conditions for all ABA workers.
At the end of the day, our certification or license is on the line when a treatment decision is made. We are the ones who are held accountable for the decisions made by management. Liability falls on our heads.
Many of us have tried asking nicely at work - only to be told that the company is doing the best it can, while each quarter we're asked to bill for more hours than is medically necessary, see more clients than there are hours in the day, maintain an appropriate supervision ratio with our existing clients. Staff turn-over is high in our field, so as our RBTs are crushed by their working conditions, we're often training, re-training, and stuck in the same old tired rut with families who are equally exhausted by the turn-over and burn-out.
BCBAs, we need to step up - for our families, for our RBTs, and for ourselves. We need to demand a union.
Who can join?
We are workers fighting for unions in Applied Behavior Analysis.
This is a space for ABA workers to come together, share their experiences, and organize for better working conditions.
This is not restricted to workers with a certification in ABA (RBT, BCaBA, BCBA); any worker in the field is welcome to join, including uncertified technicians, support staff, and other interested parties.
Workers who are self-employed may join in solidarity. Individuals with firing or hiring powers are considered employers, and are not eligible for membership.