question about NewYork

[loose-screw]

Some one was telling me that New York Opticians are unionized. Is this true?
Just curious the person telling me this has told several others and he tends to be a bit of a blow hard. just trying to get the facts

[MikeAurelius]

I've run across "guild opticians" (know several in fact), but I dont' know if it is "union" or not.

[Chris Ryser]

I've run across "guild opticians" (know several in fact), but I dont' know if it is "union" or not.

Is a upper class opticians association and has been around forever

[fjpod]

I'm not aware of any opticians union in NY. It is a licensed state, though.

[LENNY]

There are a few left! No new members that I know of!

[eye2]

I'm not aware of any opticians union in NY. It is a licensed state, though.

There is an establishment called Empire Optical. They have about 45 locations in and through out New York. At one time you had to belong to a union at that place because they mostly did insurance and could go to different places and say we are unionized you should do business with us. I don't know if they are now but they were then, mid 80's. :bbg:

[MikeAurelius]

Empire is now owned (I think) by Essilor.

[RT]

Empire Vision Centers in New York are not, in fact, owned by Essilor. They are owned by the same group that owns ECCA and Davis.

[MikeAurelius]

I stand corrected, thanks!

[cmarx]

We are not unionized and I don't believe Empire is any longer. They were at one time.

I was employed by a Guild firm at one point they were Optician owners who pledged to help MD's primarily. They spent a lot of time and money helping Med school grads set up offices which in turn feed us. When the MD's started dispensing those older firms started putting in ODs that's when the Guild started to decline.

[eye2]

I know at one time Empire was unionized because I applied for a job there and the one requirement was I had to join the union as an optician.

[cleyes]

In the 70's & 80's all workers in chains were required to join 1199 ( I think) . It is not an optician's union, covers a lot of health care workers. There is no optician's union per se.

[hbvision]

In the 1970s there was an optical union that covered workers in optical labs. The union was weak. It was headed by a man named Sibi (Sebastian?) Ribaldo. That Union is probably defunct.
I've seen Anthony Ribaldo at NYSSO meetings and think he is in the leadership of that association.
Davis vision probably stayed unionized up until they moved from Plainview NY

[hbvision]

In the 1970s there was an optical union that covered workers in optical labs. The union was weak. It was headed by a man named Sibi (Sebastian?) Ribaldo. That Union is http://www.opticalworkers.com/nysdcs_msg.htm
I've seen Anthony Ribaldo at NYSSO meetings and think he is in the leadership of that association.
Davis vision probably stayed unionized up until they moved from Plainview NY

[hbvision]

In the 1970s there was an optical union that covered workers in optical labs. The union was weak. It was headed by a man named Sibi (Sebastian?) Ribaldo. That Union is http://www.opticalworkers.com/nysdcs_msg.htm
I've seen Anthony Ribaldo at NYSSO meetings and think he is in the leadership of that association.
Davis vision probably stayed unionized up until they moved from Plainview NY

There's this

https://www.opticalworkers.org