Join the ABA Workers' Union

Towards Unionization in Applied Behavior Analysis

Join The Movement

Workers in Applied Behavior Analysis are welcome to join the ABA Workers' Union (AWU). We are a worker-led, volunteer network of organizers empowering all workers in the field to demand better working conditions for our industry.

You can join the AWU using the Google Form (1st option below) or register on this website. Both are fine; however, if you use the Google Form, please allow 24 hours for an organizer to get in touch. Please check out our events page for new member orientations, general meetings, and other actions in the meantime. Please note: there are no dues/costs for membership.

Contact an Organizer Join the AWU as a Member

Where to Start

1. Fill out our membership form

2. Schedule a new member meeting

3. Meet with the Organizer to plan next steps

 

Get connected. Learn how to organize. Form a union with your coworkers. Win a contract. It sounds simple, but it isn't - and we'll be with you every step of the way.

 

Our Mission is Simple

Fair Pay. 

  • R/BTs are the backbone of ABA services, and generate (on average) $40-$80 per hour in revenue; pay them what they're worth

  • BCBAs cannot provide effective care when RBT turnover remains between 30 - 80% per year

  • Supervision contracts amount to indentured servitude, with onerous payback clauses if you leave the company

We change behavior for a living; now, we're organizing to change behavior analysis so we can make a living.

 

Ethics & Safety Standards

  • Send sick kids home, and plan for young kids to nap

  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shouldn't be improvised by desperate staff

  • BCBA caseloads should match the BCBA's capacity and competency

  • For sustainability, we must have paid sick time, paid vacation days, and paid mental health recuperation days each year

  • Companies should provide safe, clean workplaces, free of hazards

  • For R/BTs, frequent, in-person supervision must be guaranteed

  • Breaks and lunch periods (without clients present)

Our working conditions are our client's learning conditions.

 

Dignity & Respect

  • Abolish draconian "point" systems (such as ABC's Occurrence system)

  • Staff pairings should be decided fairly, and not based on whether leadership likes you

  • Protection against retaliation for bringing ethical or operational concerns to management

  • Predictable, fair, transparent compensation structures

  • "Provider choice" does not mean we honor racist, sexist, or homophobic "preferences."

Our Plan to Win

In the last year, we organized over 100 RBTs, BCaBAs, and BCBAs at 4 companies and 6 unique locations. We've learned how to win, and proven this can work. Now, we're calling on you to join us to make our mission a reality for every ABA Worker.