What Is CASA?
CASA, short for Community and Staff Alliance, is an exciting campaign to give both Watermark residents and staff a greater say in how the Watermark at the Pearl is run.
The CASA campaign is a joint effort of two unions that have newly formed at The Watermark at the Pearl:
Watermark Workers United: A labor union formed by the staff of the Watermark at the Pearl. Wholly grassroots, the WWU is not currently affiliated with any third-party union. The WWU is composed of workers from every department in the building, excluding HR and the Admin staff.
Watermark Members United: A tenant union founded to advocate for the needs and welfare of every resident living at the Watermark at the Pearl. The union is free to join, open to all rent-paying residents.
While each union sets its own priorities, CASA is how they coordinate and act together.
Why Is CASA Pushing for Change at The Watermark?
CASA recognizes that the Watermark at the Pearl is still new, and that much of how the building operates is still being figured out. Even so, we believe the widespread frustration among residents and staff must be acknowledged. The Watermark continues to struggle with exorbitant prices, inadequate staffing, inconsistent services, and worker burnout — problems that are only growing worse, and that all trace back to the same source: the Watermark's business practices.
Put simply, CASA feels that the residents of the Watermark aren't getting the experience they paid for and workers aren't being supported enough by management to provide it.
We're tired of being told that things will improve eventually and ready to fight for actual solutions to these problems.
What Does CASA Hope to Achieve?
Working together, the WMU and WWU hope to secure a democratic voice in the operational and staffing decisions that shape what it's like to live and work at the Watermark. We believe this can be achieved if Watermark's management team would agree to two simple, common sense changes:
All Watermark members should be given a quarterly presentation on the financial state of the building as well as upcoming changes to the services offered by the Watermark, their cost, and community policy. In order for these changes to be implemented, they would first need to be approved by a majority of all residents attending the meeting.
All Watermark staff members should be given a quarterly presentation on the financial state of the building as well as upcoming changes to workplace policy and staffing levels. These changes would be voted on and only implemented if they are approved by a majority of staff members. Additionally, the Watermark will begin offering annual year-end presentations to staff, laying out current pay rates for every position in the building along with expected wage increases for the year ahead.
Through the combined efforts of the WMU and WWU, we push management to include these obligations into the rental and employment agreements of everyone living and working at the Watermark.
How Is the CASA Campaign Going to Get Management to Agree to All of This?
The answer is simple: it is entirely up to you.
The WMU and WWU have come together and developed many different plans of action to compel management to come to the table and discuss the aims of the CASA campaign. Each of these actions is designed to show management how serious we are.
In the coming weeks, the CASA campaign plans to begin holding open town halls at the Watermark, where residents and staff alike can hear about the campaign's planned actions and share any thoughts, questions, or concerns. In the meantime, both the WMU and the WWU will be working in earnest to bring our cause directly to the community. Starting on Monday, August 17th, members from both the WMU and WWU will be available to tell you more about both organizations and answer any questions you have about our aims. If you'd like to get a chance to start shaping these actions or the conversation ahead of these town halls, we'd also encourage you to speak to members about how to join our unions.
How Can I Support CASA?
Supporting CASA is easy and you don't need to join the WMU or the WWU to do it. Simply talk to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers about our campaign and encourage them to discuss CASA and the organizations behind it. Come to our events, participate in our actions, and make your voices heard!
I'm a Staff Member…
…we have a union?
Yes! Over the last two months, staff members working in nearly every department of the Watermark at the Pearl have been meeting in secret to form a union and fight back against poor working conditions, low pay, and management decisions that undermine their ability to care for Watermark residents.
Thanks to their efforts, Watermark Workers United has grown at an incredible rate and will have the support of the majority of the staff soon.
…what would the union do for me?
That's up to you! While the WWU has prepared a list of demands to take to Management, it will not do so until these demands have been approved by a majority of the staff at the Watermark at the Pearl. This means there is still time for you to join the WWU and demand the kind of change you want to see at the Watermark. If you join the WWU, you can help it fight for things like:
- A wage increase for the entire staff.
- The right to have a union member present during disputes with Management.
- More vacation time for staff members.
…won't I get fired for supporting the union?
Federal law makes it illegal for a business to fire or punish a worker for organizing, discussing a union, or talking openly about wages and working conditions. Management doesn't like to tell workers this because they know that even if they find another reason to punish you, they could end up in court and would have to prove that their actions had nothing to do with unions. That can be really hard to do!
And that doesn't even cover what the WWU would do to have your back. The WWU has prepared several actions to take in the event that Management begins to wrongly pressure or punish staff members and is preparing a “Retaliation and Strike Relief Fund” to help protect members targeted by management.
…will I have to pay dues to the union?
At this moment, no. In the future? That is entirely up to you. Since the WWU was founded exclusively by Watermark staff members and has no relationship to a third-party union, it does not have any dues requirements and will not unless the union members themselves vote to implement one.
…how can I join the WWU or learn more about it?
The WWU encourages staff members to reach out to someone they trust in their department, away from management's attention, and ask them about the WWU. Chances are very high they will be able to help you get in touch with a WWU representative. If you are unable to find a staff member who knows about the WWU or wish to speak with them privately, feel free to email them directly at:
I'm a Resident…
…how can I join the WMU or learn more about it?
The WMU is currently working on a major announcement and will only answer a limited range of inquiries. They can be emailed at: