Greg Mendez

Pace University, New York City

Greg Mendez

Greg Mendez has been an office systems coordinator in the Cooperative Education and Career Services Department at Pace University in New York City for eight years. 

Mendez grew up in a union household and had himself been a union member before starting his job at Pace University. “I saw firsthand the positive impact of unionization,” he says. “Employees, when unionized, have the power to make management listen to their concerns.” 

Mendez and his co-workers were concerned about an arbitrary system of pay raises and promotions. The workers wanted a say in the policy and procedures that affect their work. They wanted a transparent salary structure and a grievance procedure. In tough financial times at the university, the workers wanted the protections and job security of a union contract.

In 2004, the workers decided to form a union with the New York State United Teachers/AFT (NYSUT/AFT). But the university immediately struck back with a campaign of misinformation and intimidation. Despite the fact that workers routinely posted posters, fliers and news clips on their office doors, Mendez was approached by his supervisor and told to take down a union flier from his door. The university sent out several e-mails telling the workers that forming a union was not in their best interest and they could lose benefits and wages in bargaining. 

Though the workers were not allowed to hold union meetings on campus, the university hired anti-worker consultants to run meetings two and three times a day around the campus. Any union supporters who tried to speak up at these meetings were publicly attacked. An atmosphere of fear and intimidation swept across campus and workers became afraid to speak openly about the union. “People got nervous, really nervous,” says Mendez. “You would have thought we were trying to overthrow the government.”

Two years after first starting to organize their union, the workers at Pace University are still fighting the administration’s campaign of intimidation in an effort to form their union and win fair treatment.