Unionization in the nonprofit sector

A nonprofit workers union is a trade union for nonprofit workers, defined as those working for non-governmental, not for profit organizations.

The unionization of a nonprofit organization depends on the national labor organizing laws of the country the organization operates in. Depending on region, the nonprofit sector can also be referred to as the voluntary sector, the third sector, the community sector, the civic sector, and the social sector.[1][2][3]

Australia

As of the 2010s, Australian nonprofit employees are often covered by a ruling in Australian labour law called an award, in which case enterprise bargaining agreements are established in the award.[4] In Australia, unions organize across an entire sector rather than forming separate unions for each employer.[5] Nonprofit workers in many industries are represented by a number of established unions in Australia depending on the industry, including: Australian Services Union, Health Services Union, United Workers Union, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Independent Education Union of Australia.

United States

Brookings Institution

Brookings staff's union, Brookings United, was formed in 2021.[6] It is affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), a local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.[7] In 2024, the ratification of a 3-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached.[8]

Code for America

In January 2021, Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) launched Tech Workers Union Local 1010 as a result of its success unionizing Kickstarter.[9] In August, workers at the nonprofit organization, Code for America, went public with their union drive with OPEIU.[10]

Electronic Freedom Foundation

In 2024, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) employees joined the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE. EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn said in response to the unionization: "EFF is its people. From the moment that our staff decided to organize, we were supportive and approached these negotiations with a commitment to enshrining the best of our practices and adopting improvements through open and honest discussions.”[11]

Planned Parenthood

The Planned Parenthood organizations that are unionized are done so regionally or by location. Since 2017, frontline Planned Parenthood staff have been publicly engaged in unionization campaigns at many Planned Parenthood locations. Workers have criticized the organization for its low salaries, poor working conditions and a disconnect between leadership and rank and file workers. Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains challenged the results of its union election at the National Labor Relations Board and hired the Fisher Phillips lawfirm to run an anti-union campaign, before eventually agreeing to a contract in 2018. Planned Parenthood North Central States disciplined its union's entire bargaining team[12] and fired a union organizer after she accused a coworker of assault. The regional affiliate agreed to a contract in 2023 after 37 bargaining sessions over the course of 16 months.[13] Planned Parenthood Federation of America in Washington, D.C is represented by the SEIU Local 500.[14]

Southern Poverty Law Center

In mid-December 2019, staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center voted to unionize, with 142 in favor and 45 against.[15] The SPLC had "long been dogged by accusations of internal discrimination against minority employees, particularly in the area of promotions."[16][17]

The Legal Aid Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit law firm based in New York City. In 1969, he Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) was established to represent the staff attorneys of The Legal Aid Society and remain the largest union of public defenders in the country. In 2026, non-attorney staff at The Legal Aid Society, unionized with the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, held a citywide picket demonstration calling on management to institute pay raises.[18]

Urban Institute

In 2021, the Urban Institute Employees Union (UIEU) was formed and is affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), a local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.[19][20] In 2024, ratification of the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached.[21]

Wikimedia Foundation

A union of Wikimedia Foundation workers began formalizing in early 2026 under the Wiki Workers United name.[22] On 24 June, United Kingdom WMF employees were the first country-based group to seek union recognition under the Wiki Workers United umbrella, with the support of the Communication Workers Union. The UK has the second highest number of staff, after the United States. A month later, the United States staff launched their own voluntary union recognition from WMF. The labor union is supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Over 1,190 volunteer editors signed a petition, pledging to go on a solidarity strike, should Wiki Workers United call for one.[23] On 27 July, WMF declined to voluntarily recognize the United States union. WMF stated that the union would need to pursue a formal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election procedure instead. 404 Media noted that the statement used "very carefully-worded language common among companies and organizations that have fought against unionization".[24] On July 28, the NLRB process was registered, citing a Littler Mendelson representative for WMF and a Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld representative for CWA.[25]

Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU)

The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), IFPTE Local 70, represents employees of over 40 nonprofit organizations across the United States, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Food & Water Watch, J Street, and the National Women's Law Center.[26]

List of Unionized Nonprofit Organizations in the United States
Nonprofit Organization Year union established Union name Affiliated with
American Civil Liberties Union 2021[27] NPEU
Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) 2021[28] ALDF United NPEU
Bend the Arc 2021[29] NPEU
Brookings Institution 2021[30] Brookings United NPEU
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) 2018[31] NPEU
Code for America 2023[32] CfA Workers United OPEIU
Electronic Frontier Foundation 2024[11] IFPTE
Every Texan 2020[33] Every Texan United NPEU
Friends of the Earth (FOE) 2023[34] Friends of the Earth Workers United NPEU
Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) 2019[35] NPEU
Jobs to Move America (JMA) 2020[36] NPEU
J Street 2020[37] J Street Workers Union NPEU
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law 2020[38] LC United NPEU
Maryland Center on Economic Policy (MDCEP) 2018[39] NPEU
National Immigration Law Center (NILC) 2024[40] NILC Union NPEU
National Women's Law Center (NWLC) 2022[41] NWLC United NPEU
Open Markets Institute (OMI) 2020[42] Union of Open Markets Staff NPEU
Southern Poverty Law Center 2019[43] SPLC Union WBNG
The Legal Aid Society 1969 LAS Attorneys United ALAA Local 2325
Urban Institute 2021[44] Urban Institute Employees Union NPEU

See also

References

  1. ↑ Department for Culture, Media and Sport (UK), About the Civil Society Strategy, published 9 August 2018, accesses 15 May 2024
  2. ↑ Potůček, Martin (1999) Not Only the Market: The Role of the Market, Government, and the Civic Sector. Central European University Press. p. 34.
  3. ↑ See for example: Evers, Adalbert; Laville, Jean-Louis, eds. (2004). The Third Sector in Europe. Globalization and welfare. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 9781843769774. Retrieved 2014-08-05."The Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Service Delivery – A Cross Cutting Review" (PDF). Leslie Huckfield Research. HM Treasury. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "Modern awards". Fair Work Commission. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Social Security Programs Throughout the World. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social Security Administration, Division of Program Research. 1958.
  6. ↑ Rainey, Rebecca (April 13, 2021). "Unions eye Brookings, Urban Institute as push to organize think tanks grows". Politico. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Brookings Institution Formally Recognizes Staff Union". Nonprofit Professional Employees Union. 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  8. ↑ "The Brookings Institution and Brookings United Staff Union Reach Landmark Three-Year Agreement". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  9. ↑ "OPEIU Launches Tech Workers Union Local 1010 to Raise Standards for Tech Industry Employees". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  10. ↑ Schiffer, Zoe (2021-08-04). "Code for America employees are unionizing". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  11. 1 2 "EFF and IFPTE Local 20 Attain Labor Contract" (Press release). Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2024-10-16. Archived from the original on August 3, 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  12. ↑ Nesterak, Max (31 March 2023). "Unionizing Planned Parenthood". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Andrews, Becca (25 March 2024). "Unionizing Planned Parenthood". Capital and Main. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  14. ↑ "Planned Parenthood's D.C. staffers unionize as abortion-rights groups address diversity issues - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  15. ↑ Lyman, Brian (December 16, 2019). "Southern Poverty Law Center staff vote to unionize". The Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  16. ↑ Lyman, Brian (February 3, 2020). "SPLC names Margaret Huang as its president and CEO". Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Unionizing the Non-profit Sector". www.nationalaffairs.com. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  18. ↑ Powelson, Noah (2026-05-07). "Legal Aid Society workers stage citywide picket as contract negotiations drag". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  19. ↑ "Urban Institute Employees Form Union". Nonprofit Professional Employees Union. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  20. ↑ Rainey, Rebecca (April 13, 2021). "Unions eye Brookings, Urban Institute as push to organize think tanks grows". Politico. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Urban Institute and Urban Institute Employees Union Reach Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement". December 2, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  22. ↑ Knop, Dirk (2026-05-28). "Unionization at Wikimedia: Community protest after layoffs". heise online. Archived from the original on 2026-05-28. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
  23. ↑ Jackson, Ella (2026-07-24). "Staff at the San Francisco-Based Foundation Behind Wikipedia Demand Union Recognition | KQED". KQED Inc. Archived from the original on 2026-07-26. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
  24. ↑ Koebler, Jason (2026-07-27). "Wikimedia Will Not Voluntarily Recognize Union a Supermajority of Its Workers Want". 404 Media. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
  25. ↑ Wikimedia Foundation - Case Number: 20-RC-391740, National Labor Relations Board, 28 July 2026, Wikidata Q140812172, archived from the original on 2 August 2026
  26. ↑ "About the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU)". Nonprofit Professional Employees Union.
  27. ↑ "NYCLU and NOLSW UAW Announce Recognition of New Bargaining Unit". NYCLU. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  28. ↑ Martinez, Alexandra (2023-12-04). "ALDF United ratifies its first collective bargaining agreement". Prism. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  29. ↑ "Bend the Arc - A Jewish Partnership for Justice". www.charitywatch.org. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  30. ↑ "Unions eye Brookings, Urban Institute as push to organize think tanks grows". POLITICO. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  31. ↑ "Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Ratifies New Union Contract". Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  32. ↑ Quinlan, Keely (2026-01-07). "Code for America reaches tentative agreement with worker's union, averting strike". StateScoop. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  33. ↑ "Every Texan Ratifies Union Agreement, First NPEU Contract in Texas and Any Right-to-Work State - Every Texan". Every Texan - Social Justice Requires Public Policy. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  34. ↑ "Friends of the Earth Ratifies First Union Contract with NPEU". IFPTE. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  35. ↑ Baltimore, Sam (2019-12-05). "Jews United for Justice Unionizes with NPEU". Jews United for Justice. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  36. ↑ "Jobs to Move America joins growing trend of U.S. non-profits unionizing - Jobs to Move America". Jobs to Move America - Jobs to Move America. 2020-01-15. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  37. ↑ "J Street Welcomes New Employee Union". J Street. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  38. ↑ Press (2020-08-18). "Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Voluntarily Recognizes Staff Union LC United". Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  39. ↑ Schumitz, Kali (2018-11-06). "MDCEP Recognizes Staff Union". Maryland Center on Economic Policy. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  40. ↑ "National Immigration Law Center Staff Celebrate Ratification of First Collective Bargaining Agreement". NILC. 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  41. ↑ "NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER AND NWLC UNITED SIGN FIRST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT". National Women's Law Center. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  42. ↑ "Open Markets Institute Staff Joins NPEU/IFPTE Local 70". IFPTE. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  43. ↑ Chapoco, Ralph (2024-09-09). "Southern Poverty Law Center union expresses no confidence in nonprofit's leadership". Alabama Reflector. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  44. ↑ Urban Institute Staff Union Receives Voluntary Recognition (Report). Urban Institute. 2021-05-27.
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