Friends of the Earth announces formal voluntary recognition of employee union

WASHINGTON - Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Workers United are proud to announce today the formal recognition of Friends of the Earth’s first-ever collective bargaining unit. FOE Workers United has organized as part of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), and will represent staff in the collective bargaining unit.   

“As Friends of the Earth staff, we are proud to be part of an organization with an outspoken mission of fighting for a more healthy and just world, and we believe this new union will strengthen that mission,” said a spokesperson for the union. “Our membership is pleased to see Friends of the Earth live out its long-held values by recognizing our union. We are excited to work with management to strengthen our organization, both internally and externally.” 

“Friends of the Earth strongly believes in the right of workers, including the staff of Friends of the Earth, to collectively organize and bargain over their employment conditions, and we are proud of the constructive voluntary recognition process that we concluded with Friends of the Earth Workers United,” said Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth.  “We see Union representation in the nonprofit sector as a positive development, long overdue, and we are proud that Friends of the Earth is joining many other nonprofits in recognizing a staff union.” 

Friends of the Earth Workers United will work with Friends of the Earth management during the coming weeks to negotiate a union contract.

“We’re excited to have Friends of the Earth Workers United as NPEU members!,” said NPEU President Kayla Blado. “Through a collaborative recognition process, we were able to achieve an agreement that will give FOE staff a voice at their workplace. The labor and the environmental movements are both part of a larger movement to fight for equity and justice, and we are energized to work together to strengthen this movement.”  

About NPEU:

The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), a local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, represents professionals employed at more than 25 nonprofit organizations, including employees at Economic Policy Institute, the Center for American Progress, and Community Change. With several hundred members, NPEU gives nonprofit workers a voice to strengthen their workplaces and continue to do work that makes a difference in people’s lives.

Communications contacts: Erin Jensen, Friends of the Earth, (202) 222-0722, ejensen@foe.org

Katie Barrows, NPEU, (360) 624-6934, kbarrows@npeu.org