“Hi, This is a Unionized Case Manager Calling You Back…”
An Interview with the National Abortion Federation Hotline Bargaining Committee
Greta, Union Chair, Bargaining Committee Member. Pronouns: she/her
Amber, Union Rep Administrator, Bargaining Committee Member. Pronouns: she/they
Emma, Union Rep Administrator, Bargaining Committee Member. Pronouns: they/she
Twitter:@NAHUnion
Instagram: @nationalabortionhotlineunion
One of your favorite nonprofits that everyone should give to: Florida Access Network and Tampa Bay Abortion Fund! These small but mighty abortion funds provide essential support to abortion seekers and indie abortion providers in Florida
Like many of you, we’ve been watching the huge efforts of the National Abortion Federation’s staff as they fought to unionize through a lot of challenges, the overturning of Roe, and shuttering of clinics. We were fascinated with how they did it all, so we reached out to their bargaining committee to share with us about their efforts and what they learned along the way.
ReproJobs: Congratulations on signing your first union contract! This is very, very exciting. Can you tell us about why as hotline workers you decided to unionize?
Greta: This is our second contract, but to me that’s part of the excitement. To see our contract grow in what it offers folks - with our staff’s experience evolving quite a bit in the past two years with the legal landscape of abortion care, has been really great.
Amber: We voted to unionize in August of 2018 and our first contract went into effect January 1, 2020. We were a much smaller organization in 2015 when I started on the hotline, but had an extremely dedicated and passionate direct service staff. We identified racism and classism in our hiring practices, policies, & procedures, and recognized these were not only a detriment to our staff, but also to the indie abortion providers and abortion seekers we served. We unionized to ensure we could speak openly about the essential need to move away from a reproductive health framework towards one of reproductive justice. We recognized that if we were going to push for necessary changes in a sustainable way, we would need the job protection a union provides.
RJ: What did you organize for in your contract that you're very excited about?
Greta: I can’t shout from the rooftops enough how thrilled I am to report not just 100% employer paid health insurance premium for individuals, but now dependents are also 100% paid by NAF!
Amber: I am incredibly proud of the salary increases we were able to negotiate. Our direct service staff has historically been underpaid in the field which has meant that many of us have had to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. The amount of expertise it takes to help abortion seekers navigate ever increasing barriers only continues to grow. It is essential that folks are fairly compensated so they can care for themselves and fully show up for the abortion seekers and abortion providers we serve.
RJ: What have been the most surprising aspects of your unionizing? What was challenging? What have you learned about yourselves?
Greta: Well, mid-contract bargaining was a surprise for sure! I said this was our second contract, but we did come to the table in between full contracts after Texas Senate Bill 8 changed our working conditions. NAH made clear that they had meticulously developed the new policies and procedures for direct service staff that were based on a thorough understanding of the parameters of the new law, but the best thing about a Union in my book is getting things in writing. That was a big lesson to me, that while I enjoy labor management meetings and fostering a collaborative relationship with senior leadership, having things clarified and in writing is an essential thing to do.
Mid-contract bargaining opened my eyes to all the ways people can have the same goal and values but very different perspectives on how to implement a structure that supports them.
Emma: A challenge I experienced was organizing remotely. When we were in the office, seeing each other every day there were more opportunities to strengthen the quality of our relationships. We have had to figure out a lot of pieces around communication while remote in order to make sure that everyone was up to speed and that everyone's voices were heard and brought into the contract wherever possible. We definitely learned a lot about structuring conversations and have a lot of ideas for how to carry these lessons forward and use them to build up our unit now that the contract is completed.
Amber: I am truly impressed by the fortitude and passion of our past and present staff. We received a surprising amount of push back from our then CEO during the initial unionization process. While it was a scary time, our staff continued to push for the protection we deserved and were eventually able to ratify our first contract. This second time around we were hoping the negotiations process would move more quickly, but it wound up taking about a year. While our staff was eager to sign our second contract, we stood in solidarity and continued to fight until we were able to get the contract we deserved.
RJ: How do you think unionizing has brought your team together? How do you hope that will grow?
Emma: In coming together as a team to push this contract through, it put the union toward the front of people's minds. I am hopeful that we can use this momentum to grow involvement and tap more into the talents of the broader team, expanding our capacity. This contract has given us a lot but there is always more we can be working on as we continue to push for a workplace representative of our values.
Amber: I’m grateful to our staff for standing in unity with one another, especially considering how long negotiations took. I’m also thrilled and humbled by the enormous amount of support and solidarity we received from the reproductive justice community; RJ advocates, other RJ organizations, abortion providers, and local abortion funds. We truly appreciate everyone who engaged with our social media and we look forward to continuing to connect with those folks.
RJ: Now that you have your contract signed, what's next?
Amber: We fund abortions! We continue to advocate for reproductive justice based policies; that’s why we’re all here. We’re now able to approach this work without worrying as much about how we can afford our family’s medical care, how we’ll make rent, what we will do if we need an abortion or gender affirming care and live in a hostile state. We can focus on continuing to push NAH forward in providing the best possible support for abortion seekers and abortion providers while also caring for ourselves and our families.
RJ: There are lots of other workers in the movement who are thinking about unionizing. What advice would you give them?
Greta: Do it! But also know that it is going to take more than just signing cards.
Amber: Be prepared to stand in solidarity with one another and fight for what you all deserve. As a group, decide how far you are willing to go to meet your goals. Be prepared for the inevitable union busting and retaliation. Understand that unionization is not a magic fix for all of the issues your staff faces. While there are certainly limitations to what unionization can accomplish, the job protection unionizing can provide allows staff to have a voice that is rarely offered outside of union protection.
Emma: And through it all, do your best to have a common vision of what you are fighting for and what your priorities are that unite you. Making sure the whole group has a thorough understanding of the process and that their expectations are realistic about how long and arduous bargaining can be is important. Sharing workloads and building in ways to make this sustainable for everyone through all life’s ups and downs was essential for us. Just like the workplace we are pushing for, the process needs to be accessible and supported and this is not something we can accomplish on our own but a commitment of the whole.
Greta: Unionizing is a beautiful thing that will almost always bring you and your coworkers together. Solidarity isn’t just a word we use to sign emails, it’s a process of learning about yourself and the people around you so that you can cultivate and uplift a unified voice.