More Than 120 National Audubon Society Workers Across 11 Regions Vote to Form Union with CWA

[TexasTowelie]

NATIONWIDE -- More than 120 workers across 11 regions at the National Audubon Society voted overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in a string of official National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections last week. The regional Audubon workers will join their colleagues in the nonprofit’s national headquarters who formed a union with CWA earlier this year. Following these landslide victories, over 250 Audubon workers – 70% of the union-eligible workforce at Audubon – are now organized with Audubon for All Union, capping off the workers’ year-long effort to secure stronger healthcare, job security and a voice at the table for all workers regardless of race, gender or background.

Audubon workers’ sweeping win is the latest for the green labor movement and follows successful organizing efforts by workers across the environmental sector, including those at the Center for Biological Diversity, Sunrise Movement, the Sierra Club, 350.org and Greenpeace. Audubon workers add to the growing number of conservationists and climate activists paving the way for a stronger alliance between labor and environmentalism and bring to an end a momentous year for union organizing and worker power nationwide.

“I am so proud of my colleagues at Audubon in New York, Connecticut and across the country for making it to this point, securing nationwide union wins and committing to building a better nonprofit,” said Zack Boerman, Forrest Program Associate in Audubon’s Northeast regional office. “We cannot underestimate the importance of this moment and the impact it will have on the future of Audubon and the green labor movement. With a union, we finally have a seat at the table so we can ensure good working conditions and fair treatment of all staff regardless of race or gender. That means we can focus diligently on our work and put in everything we have to better protect birds and the planet.”

In addition to representing workers in the nonprofit’s national headquarters, CWA now also represents Audubon workers across 11 regional offices, including in the Upper Midwest (Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri), Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), Northeast (New York and Connecticut), the Great Lakes (Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin), the Mid Atlantic (Pennsylvania, Maryland), North Carolina, Nebraska, Alaska, Washington, Vermont and California. In total, these 11 regions account for more than 120 Audubon employees, in addition to the 131 workers at the national headquarters.

Read more: https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/more-120-national-audubon-society-workers-across-11-regions-vote-form-union

[3Hotdogs]

1. What benefits have the existing unions achieved?

I support the workers. I can see how the unions can improve hours of service. When wages and benefits come at the expense of program, that may be a problem since programs are funded by voluntary contributions.

A business can raise prices and hope the customer continues to purchase. A separate fund raiser that focuses on the purpose of funding better income and benefits to workers could also work.