Outstanding Leadership in Queens
2004 Honoree of the Queens Federation of Churches
Movyn Bass
Movyn Bass was born and raised in the Virgin Islands.
He is the oldest of seven children. During his teenage years, Movyn began
to travel from St. Thomas to New York and attended school in both places.
He attended Queens Community College where he majored in Liberal Arts.
He is a member of Community Church of God where
he has played the piano and directed the choir. Movyn resides in Jamaica,
Queens and is the father of two children.
Movyn has worked with the developmentally disabled
for eight years at various agencies, the last being Quality Services for
the Autism Community (QSAC). Over his career Movyn has held the positions
of direct care worker, group leader and residential manager.
In working with the developmentally disabled,
Movyn decided to become an advocate for this population because he felt
they needed a voice. Movyn also realized that as a worker in this field,
he and his co-workers needed a voice to respond to their working conditions.
Movyn stood up for the rights of the developmentally disabled and direct
care workers by organizing a union that could bring fairness and stability
to the work force and improve the quality of care for the clients. For
over a year Movyn worked with CSEA, Local 1000, AFSCME, to form a union
at QSAC and provided solid leadership for his co-workers and colleagues
in the community. Early in the organizing campaign Movyn lost his job
at QSAC, but he continued to work on the campaign as an organizer.
Movyn believes that having a union is very important
for everyone working for a private agency caring for the disabled. He
is proud of his work with CSEA and believes deeply that he would make
the same choices again.
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