June 23, 2020 – Employees of the ACLU of Kansas announced Tuesday that they are forming a union, ACLU Kansas United.
The ACLU has a long history of supporting workers’ rights and democracy, the workers noted in a press statement, and they are “thrilled to bring these values into their own organization.” The group will join the United Media Guild Local 36047 of The NewsGuild-CWA.
The ACLU of Kansas will be the largest nonprofit of its kind to unionize in the state.
Staffers say their affiliation with the Guild will strengthen their work by giving them more democratic representation while they pursue civil rights for all. Other ACLU affiliates have also unionized, including in Massachusetts, Northern California, and Southern California.
Workers at ACLU of Kansas filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), although management could choose to voluntarily recognize the union or verify a majority of worker support through a “card check” at any time before the election.
In recent years, a wave of nonprofit workers have joined labor unions. The United Media Guild local represents workers at Missouri Jobs with Justice, Fight For 15, Missouri Health Care For All, and Missouri Organizing and Voter Engagement Collaborative (MOVE).
Follow ACLU Kansas United on Twitter at @ACLUksUnited and on Facebook at ACLU Kansas United.