unionizing in repro

There has been a lot of fully justified anger at a system that viciously exploits and devalues the most marginalized, and the past several years have seen many workers start to reevaluate their relationship with work, and to rethink the value of their labor—and their lives.

It’s more complicated than an “us” vs. “them” scenario when you’re organizing a small repro organization, but when the lines are drawn, you want the new hire falling on the right side of the battlefield. Whoever makes them feel most supported, welcome, and confident will likely win their alliance.

"Our Planned Parenthood workers are dedicated to the mission of ensuring reproductive healthcare is accessible and affordable for its patients. It makes sense to me that those same staff should have a living wage and employee benefits to be able to make the best family planning decisions for themselves too."

"It’s easier to work toward a union if you build community and know one another!"

If you can find a way to create a movement that does not retraumatize your coworkers, your union will be stronger, more successful, and more sustainable.

A report on pay equity in the reproductive justice, rights, and health movement organizations.

“The COVID MOU we bargained for included worker safety procedures, additional stipends to cover the continuing costs of working from home, and assurances that folks wouldn’t be required to come to the office during the pandemic.”

Organizing across miles carries a lot of barriers, but it also holds some unique opportunities. Many locations means many opportunities to compare workplace locations, find discrepancies between job descriptions or wages, and identify who really makes the decisions about things like working conditions.

You and your co-workers have really been through a lot. Acknowledging the trauma you’ve been experiencing is an important step to surviving it.

“Overworked, burned-out workers are not simply extra-passionate: they are exploited. The system allows rich philanthropists to reap the tax benefits of their charitable giving while maintaining control over their fortunes.”

I wish I had a better answer for you, but at the end of the day, exploring whether a union is right for you and your coworkers is almost always a risky process.

Remember, there’s no “right” answer. Just what’s right for you.

Unions love to find ways to bolster the skills and knowledge of their workers. Unions send people to conferences and often cover the costs of continuing education courses or facilitator fees so your unionized staff can improve themselves and the workplace culture.

Bargaining looks like people sitting on opposite sides of a table discussing the terms of a contract. The Bargaining Team is the debate club of union leadership roles.

“At their core, most workers simply want a say in their workplace, and they want accountability from their leadership.”

We asked you to share your questions about unionizing. Here are some quick answers to your top five questions.

Support staff have the logistical and relational expertise you need to win.

We failed to unionize at a significant cost to the organization’s integrity, but the collective experience of our attempt granted us a deeper commitment and alignment with liberatory politics, a victory in its own right.

How can we deal with emotional reactions from our boss when trying to unionize in a small workplace? We are in the early stages of unionizing and anticipate that there will be Feelings. What resources or trainings can we share to help them understand that unionizing might benefit the organization?

If there's anything non-profit leaders have even less of than time, it’s money. Make your demands clear.

I am represented by a union already, and my job has had a union for a long time. However, the union is undemocratic, seems to arbitrarily cover workers, rarely meets, and I would describe it as far from being as militant as it should be. Some workers feel left in the dark about the union process and our contact at union doesn’t answer our emails. We've given significant concessions during the last contract fight and union leadership seems complacent. How can I best energize union members to fight for democracy and better demands during our next contract fight? Should we caucus for better leadership?

You should raise your concerns to your union. If they are adequately prepared for your strike, they'll have an answer to your question that satisfies you. Many unions have a Strike Fund that can be used to alleviate some needs for workers. They should have a plan to feed you on the picket line and provide your family dinner a few times a week. A good union will have a toiletries-and-diapers drive. Union members and organizers should also be working with local business owners, especially grocery stores and restaurants, to offer striking workers a discount and to solicit in-kind and monetary donations.