Members of the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) voted overwhelmingly today to join the AFL-CIO-affiliated Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU).
Ballots were mailed to all 1,200 members of NAPAA and, when they were tallied, more than 94 percent had voted in favor of affiliating with OPEIU. The vote was administered by the American Arbitration Association.
The NAPAA Board of Directors is expected to meet in the near future to formally approve the affiliation. Once the agreement is approved, NAPAA members will become members in OPEIU, the AFL-CIO and all state federations.
NAPAA will become a guild affiliate of OPEIU and will not have a collective bargaining agreement. By joining OPEIU, NAPAA members will have assistance with promoting legislation and gaining legal expertise.
Currently, agents, who are small business owners, are subjected to unachievable quotas, the specter of reduced compensation and an ever-present threat of contract termination.
OPEIU President Michael Goodwin says:
This is a matter of defending the interests of ill-treated small business owners, and NAPAA members have recognized that OPEIU is the right organization to help them achieve the benefits and protections they deserve.
