Staecnon-RJ has been defending the interests of workers for over six decades. Initially, there was only one union to defend the interests of all sanitation workers in the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Although the Union had established itself as the sole body for defense, the need for a more decentralized and effective union structure to represent this broad category began to emerge among CEDAE employees. Therefore, on April 2, 1962, a workers' assembly was held, in which it was decided to split the territorial base, with Staecnon becoming responsible for the North and Northwest regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Currently, Staecnon has around 800 affiliated workers from the State Water and Sewage Company (Cedae), but it intends to increase this number, seeking to affiliate workers who operate within its territorial base and whose main activity is sanitation.
In the state, sanitation sector professionals are represented by a total of 5 unions, which generally unite during each collective bargaining negotiation—mainly during the category's collective labor agreement. Their boards maintain constant interaction; with regard to Staecnon, the Union has the support of the National Federation of Urban Workers (FNU), the National Confederation of Industrial Workers (CNTI), and the Unified Workers' Central (CUT).
Cooperative
The first known organizational movement of the sanitation workers in the state of Rio de Janeiro was the formation of a cooperative. Little is recorded in minutes books about the activities and purpose of this cooperative, but it is believed to have been founded around 1932 by comrades Antônio de Oliveira, Amaro da Silva Barradas, and others, with Amaro da Silva Barradas serving as its first president.
Association
On October 27, 1961, workers met in an Extraordinary General Assembly at the headquarters of the Union of Employees of Power, Light, Transportation, Water and Sewage of the State of Rio de Janeiro, with the purpose of founding the Professional Association of Workers in the Water Purification and Sewage Services Industry of Campos.
The first board of directors was elected for the term of 1961 to 1964, and comrade Helson de Souza Oliveira assumed the Presidency. At the very first meeting, among other matters, it was decided that the board's term would last 2 years. The Association fulfilled its transitional role well, at a time when there was already a strong clamor from workers for the transformation of the Association into a professional category union.
Union
On April 2, 1962, the workers held an assembly at the Association's provisional headquarters to discuss the transformation into a Union—which only materialized on January 10, 1964, when the Union Charter was signed by the Ministry of Labor. On July 30, 1964, the workers were already meeting as the Union of Workers in the Water Purification and Distribution Industry and in Sewage Services of Campos—the only union of the category in the State of Rio de Janeiro at the time, representing water and sewage workers throughout the state. The first president sworn in was comrade Francisco Leal Areas.
The temporary headquarters of the Union operated at Rua Barão de Cotegipe, 98, 2nd floor, room 13. In 1967, it moved to Rua dos Andradas, 131, 1st floor, room 5 — both addresses in the center of Campos dos Goytacazes. From 1975 onwards, the workers began to meet at Rua Marechal Floriano, 147, Centro, the current headquarters of the Union.
Union Charter recognized on January 10, 1964, registered in Book 37, page 66, of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.