NORTHAMPTON, MA — Workers at the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) are celebrating the formation of their union, CDI Workers United (CDIWU), after receiving voluntary recognition from CDI leadership on August 31, 2026.
The workers are represented by the Providence Newspaper Guild, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 31041. Workers organized around shared priorities including meaningful participation in workplace decisions, transparency, accountability, equitable working conditions, and a desire to strengthen communication across programs and throughout the organization.
“We organized because we believe deeply in CDI and in the cooperative values that guide our work,” said Addy Schuetz, a member of CDIWU. “Every day, we help communities build structures that give people a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect them. We believe workers deserve that same opportunity. Forming CDI Workers United gives us a way to bring those values more fully into our own workplace and to work together toward a stronger, more sustainable CDI.”
Voluntary recognition means CDIWU and CDI leadership can move directly toward collective bargaining without the need for a formal union election.
“Voluntary recognition reflects respect for our employees’ decision to organize and our commitment to engaging with them in good faith collective bargaining,” said Deborah Winiewicz, Chair of CDI’s board of directors.
“We applaud CDI leadership’s decision to voluntarily recognize our union and the work that has brought us to this point,” said CDIWU member Heather Foran. “Recognition is an important milestone, but it is also the beginning of the next phase. We look forward to approaching bargaining with the same spirit of collaboration, openness, and shared purpose that we bring to our work every day.”
For CDIWU members, organizing a union is closely connected to the organization’s broader mission of supporting cooperative ownership, democratic participation, and communities having a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their futures. Members have drawn inspiration from the long, rich history between unions and cooperatives.
“We are incredibly proud of the workers who came together to make this possible,” said CDIWU member Chris Lepre. “Our strength throughout this process has come from listening to one another, supporting one another, and recognizing that we can accomplish more when we act collectively. We intend to carry that spirit forward as we begin bargaining our first contract.”
CDI Workers United looks forward to carrying this momentum into negotiations for its first collective bargaining agreement.
About CDI Workers United
CDIWU represents 30 employees of the Cooperative Development Institute. Formed in 2026 and a member of the Providence Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA Local 31041, CDI Workers United seeks to strengthen employee voice, workplace democracy, transparency, equity, and accountability while supporting CDI’s mission and the communities its employees serve.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Name: Norm Welsh
Providence Newspaper Guild
Email: png1@verizon.net