More and more nonprofits, advocacy groups, think tanks, and even presidential campaigns on the left have become unionized in recent years. Here is a list of some of the most prominent progressive organizations to have been unionized.
It is not hard to find news stories about progressive groups unionizing or the occasional controversy between workers and management about reaching a collective bargaining agreement. In fact, union support is rising in the United States, especially with workers under 35. Yet, for those looking to work for a progressive nonprofit, it isn’t always easy to know if hiring organizations have unionized. So at Blue Tent, we compiled a list of some of the progressive groups that have.
Many of the think tanks and advocacy groups listed below are based in Washington, D.C., and are represented by the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), SEIU Local 500 and 1199SEIU. If your office is thinking about unionizing, you can reach out to these unions or check out the AFL-CIO’s Form a Union page.
Center for American Progress
The Center For American Progress (CAP) is one of the most significant Democratic-leaning think tanks in the United States. It is a prominent voice within Democratic circles and in the media. CAP’s main workforce unionized with NPEU in 2016. Since then, workers negotiated an increase in wages for entry-level workers from $32,000 to $37,000; they now receive annual raises and receive overtime pay.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is one of the top progressive economic policy shops in Washington, D.C. CBPP was established in 1981 and is focused on how the federal budget affects low-income Americans. Jared Bernstein, a former economic advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, serves as a senior fellow. Staff at CBPP are represented by NPEU.
The Center for Economic and Policy Research
The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) is one of the major economic policy think tanks in Washington, D.C. CEPR was founded in 1999 with a focus on economic and social issues. Workers are represented by NPEU.
Community Change
Community Change lifts up low-income people, especially communities of color. Founded in 1968, the group is focused on community organizing to push for change. Since 2018, they have focused on one overarching goal: dramatically improving the living conditions of working-class people, with special emphasis on women and people of color. On its website, the group proudly states that its workers are represented by NPEU.
DC Jobs with Justice
DC Jobs with Justice (DCJwJ) is a coalition of labor and community organizations that advance workers’ rights and racial justice. The group was founded in 2001, and coalition members include union locals of the Teamsters, the Communications Workers of America, Ironworkers, and Unite HERE. Staff are represented by NPEU.
The Democracy Collaborative
The Democracy Collaborative (TDC) is a research and advocacy group focused on challenging today’s economy of financial extraction and transforming our system to be inclusive and ecologically sustainable. The group was founded in 2000 as a research center at the University of Maryland, and has grown into an independent national nonprofit. NPEU represents TDC’s staff.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, Department for Professional Employees
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is the largest and most significant labor organization in the United States. The group is a coalition of 55 labor unions that represent over 12.5 million workers. The Department for Professional Employees (DPE) within AFL-CIO was founded in 1977 to focus on professional and technical employees. DPE is a coalition of 24 national labor unions and represents over 4 million workers. DPE staff are represented by NPEU.
The Economic Policy Institute
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) was founded in 1986 with a focus on the policy needs of workers. The group has strong ties to the labor movement, and it should not be a surprise that one of the most pro-union think tanks in the United States has a unionized office with staff represented by NPEU.
Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch (FWW) is an organization dedicated to food, climate, and water issues. The group grew out of Public Citizen in 2005. Since that time, the group has grown to a staff of 100 people. FWW staff are represented by NPEU.
Groundwork Collaborative
The Groundwork Collaborative is a progressive economic policy advocacy organization. The group brings economic policy exports, professional advocates and activists together to collaborate on policy ideas and to advocate for a progressive economic agenda. Staff at the collective unionized with NPEU in April of 2020. In an announcement with NPEU, Michael Linden, Groundwork Collaborative’s executive director commended staff for organizing, stating, “A core part of that vision [for the collective] is a more equitable distribution of power, including power for workers in all kinds of workplaces. With that vision in mind, we are proud to have voluntarily recognized the Groundwork Collaborative Union today.”
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was established in 1980 as the first national LGBTQ political action committee and is considered the most prominent LGBTQ advocacy organization in the United States. HRC staff are represented by 1199SEIU. While HRC faced criticism in 2015 in an employee survey, with respondents accusing the LGBTQ rights organization of favoring white, straight-acting gay men, the group has taken serious steps to change its office culture. HRC has moved to increase the diversity of its executive team. The group hired Alphonso David as HRC’s first Black president in 2019, and in 2020, the group broadened the diversity of its board of directors with 13 new members that included one of the first Black trans women to hold public office, Andrea Jenkins.
International Labor Rights Forum
The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) is a human rights organization that advocates for the rights of workers around the globe. ILRF has been around since 1986, but its current form is the result of the organization merging with Global Labor Justice in July 2020. NPEU represents ILRF staff.
Jews United for Justice
Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) is centered on mobilizing members of the Jewish community in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Montgomery County, Maryland, for social, economic and racial justice. JUFJ was founded in 1998. The organization focuses on campaigns advocating for D.C. rent control to the rights of immigrants in Maryland. Workers are represented by NPEU.
Jobs to Move America
Jobs to Move America (JMA) is a public policy center focused on government policy and changing corporate behavior focused on racial and economic justice. The group advocates for worker empowerment, democracy and corporate and government transparency. JMA workers are represented by NPEU.
Media Matters For America
Media Matters is a progressive media watchdog that calls out right-wing lies perpetuated by news outlets. The organization was founded in 2004. It rose to prominence by continuously highlighting and criticizing Fox News segments. The group’s staff are represented by SEIU Local 500.
The National LGBTQ Task Force
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) often gets most of the attention and is the largest LGBTQ rights organization in the United States, but the National LGBTQ Task Force is actually older. The Task Force is the oldest national LGBTQ organization in the U.S., founded in 1973. If these two groups were siblings, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) would be the polite, buttoned-down golden son, while the National LGBTQ Task Force would be the loud and proud older sister.
The task force is a women-led organization led by Executive Director Rea Carey and Deputy Executive Director Kierra Johnson. The group differentiates itself from HRC and other LGBTQ organizations by focusing on the needs of marginalized LGBTQ people and LGBTQ communities of color. The LGBTQ Task Force also puts on the largest and oldest LGBTQ conference, Creating Change, every January. Its employees are represented by 1199SEIU.
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) was established in 1972 to advance the rights of women in the courts, in Congress and state governments. NWLC workers are represented by NPEU. The organization unionized in April 2020. Fatima Goss Graves, president of NWLC, praised the effort in a statement that announced the organization would voluntarily recognize the union, stating “our vision of a just workplace extends to every worker in this country, including those who work at NWLC.” Kayla Blado, president of NPEU praised the organization saying, “NWLC is a leader in closing the gender wage gap and achieving justice for those who have been historically discriminated against. We are excited for the NWLC staff to use their union to create a stronger, more equitable workplace for all employees.”
Open Markets Institute
Open Markets Institute (OMI) was only launched in September 2017, but in June 2019, Politico called the group “one of the most influential drivers of Democratic politics in the fight to rein in Facebook, Amazon and Google.” The think tank is focused on exposing the dangers of monopolies and advocating for legislation and executive actions to prevent them. Staff at OMI are represented by NPEU.
SumOfUs
SumOfUs describes itself as “16,079,861 people stopping big corporations from behaving badly.” The organization focuses on consumer advocacy and protecting the environment from corporate abuse with campaigns in the United States and around the globe. Staff are represented by NPEU.
United Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) was founded in 1997 to hold companies accountable for their exploitation of working people. Since then, the organization has grown into the largest student labor advocacy organization in the United States. USAS’s campaigns have included highlighting the working conditions of factories producing Nike products and assisting workers at Georgetown University in winning a living wage. USAS staff organized with NPEU.
The Worker Rights Consortium
The Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) monitors labor rights in Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The group was founded in 2000 by labor experts and student activists. WRC is based in the United States, has maintained an organizing focus on college campuses and has 157 student chapters in the U.S. and Canada. WRC staff are represented by NPEU.
People For The American Way
People For The American Way (PFAW) is a progressive nonprofit that also has a C4 advocacy arm. PFAW was founded in 1981 to fight right-wing extremism. One of its most well-known vehicles to highlight right-wing extremism is its media arm, Right-Wing Watch. The group’s staff are represented by SEIU Local 500.
Public Citizen
Public Citizen was founded in 1971 as a progressive consumer advocacy organization. The organization advocates for a wide array of progressive causes, including consumer and worker safeguards, concerns of exploitation from international trade, protecting democracy, and fighting climate change. SEIU Local 500 represents workers at Public Citizen.
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