Organizing Update

Center for Biological Diversity

Workers at the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization working to protect endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media, and grassroots activism, won voluntary recognition last week. The new union includes paralegals and lawyers, organizers, campaigners, media specialists, scientists, membership, development, and IT staff. They will be members of CWA Local 9415 in Oakland, Calif.

“Joining the labor movement makes the Center for Biological Diversity an even stronger advocate for threatened communities, wildlife, and wild places. At this pivotal moment for our planet, we’re standing with workers against big polluters and other powerful interests,” the Workers for Biological Diversity Organizing Committee said.

This win is part of a growing unionization trend among workers at environmental and other nonprofit organizations.

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New York Times

On Wednesday, technology workers at the New York Times staged a half day work stoppage to protest the news company’s unfair labor practices, including illegal polling and interrogation of workers about their activism. The virtual walkout was organized on Monday, after the tech workers learned of Times management's attempt to exclude staff such as data analysts and designers from a union representation vote. The NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003), which represents 1,300 editorial and business employees at the Times, began the campaign to organize tech workers at the company in April. The unit is made up of more than 600 workers, an overwhelming majority of whom have signed a petition pledging to vote for a union.