CWA 1180 - Worksite Organizing

Top six questions
about UNIONIZING your NONPROFIT workplace

1| Aren’t we in this for the cause, not the money?
Most people come to work at a nonprofit because they believe in the
organization’s mission. But that doesn’t mean you should accept poor
treatment. You have to pay the rent and bills and support your family
just like everyone else in this expensive city. Many of our organizations
fight for democracy and justice every day. Shouldn’t we bring those
values inside the workplace?

2| Can’t we get more by just sitting down and talking individually with the boss?
Some individuals have a cozy relationship with management and can
negotiate a raise for themselves. But many people don’t and can’t. And
raises are often determined by circumstances that have nothing to do
with job performance, such as grant income or the clout of your department
head. With a union, gains are fair and guaranteed by a contract.

3| Will forming a union hurt the organization?
The truth is offering livable pay, decent benefits, and respect on the job helps any organization attract and retain a diverse and qualified staff. By making the
organization more transparent, a union can actually strengthen internal communication and make operations run more smoothly.

4| Will forming a union create tensions at work between staff and supervisors?
Most union members find that once a union is established, it is less tense— and less personal—to approach a supervisor as a representative of the union than it was to raise issues as a lone individual.

5| Aren’t unions just for blue collar workers?
People at nonprofits tend to work long hours, including evenings and weekends, for minimal pay and benefits. No matter what your job, a union contract can boost stagnant pay, extend benefits to partners or part-timers,
set limits on work hours, and give all staffers a voice in the orgaization.

6| How does a union work, anyway?
You and your coworkers vote on whether to form a union and which to join. Once you unionize, a committee of workers, along with a union rep, sits down with management to bargain a contract on such issues as salary, benefits, and working conditions. Once a deal is reached, members of your union vote it up or down. Members in each job title or worksite elect shop stewards to represent their interests in an ongoing way around workplace safety, compensation, benefits, discipline, and so on. Union members also participate in the broader labor movement through demonstrations, voter drives, and lobbying. A union provides you a vehicle for making change in your workplace and in society.

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