JOIN for Justice Staff Union Receives Voluntary Recognition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Katie Barrows, NPEU, kbarrows@npeu.org, 360-624-6936
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2020 - On Wednesday September 23, JOIN for Justice (JOIN) voluntarily recognized its staff union, JOIN Workers’ Union through card check. JOIN employees are unionized with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU).
“We are thrilled to have formed a union!” said the representatives of the JOIN Workers’ Union. “We look forward to collaborating with management to further JOIN for Justice’s mission. Community organizing is so crucial, especially right now, and we know a strong union will strengthen JOIN’s work. As white supremacy and antisemitism rise, we find hope and solidarity in joining the workers’ movement.”
Karla Van Praag, Executive Director of JOIN for Justice, said, “We recognize the JOIN Workers’ Union with excitement and pride. Every day, JOIN’s staff and leaders train Jewish communities to organize for a more just world. The union offers a new way for people at JOIN to be accountable to each other and for JOIN to model the kind of relationship and mutuality we work to build."
JOIN for Justice responds to the escalating demand for skillful leaders who use organizing principles and practices to achieve positive social change. Currently, JOIN is accepting applications for Access to Power, a seven-month fellowship for disabled Jewish organizers who are young adults (20 - 39). JOIN also works directly with clergy through a Clergy Fellowship, and supports congregations with training and mentorship to build leaderful communities rooting their organizing practices in strong relationships.
The card check was performed by Rabbi David Jaffe, longtime teacher in JOIN programs and founder of The Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project. “A real Jewish sense of justice involves a balance of power,” said Rabbi Jaffe. “Our sages recognized human fallibility. Even the most righteous among us have blind spots and act out our shadow sides in oppressive ways. When power is not balanced, those with the power almost always will end up being exploitative, even with the best intentions. This is why rabbinic leadership has almost always supported unions and could be counted on to back unions in the early days of the U.S. labor movement. A balance of power is our best shot at justice. With that truth, I bless everyone at JOIN - management, staff, board and others - to model for the rest of the Jewish community, the environment of dignity and justice within JOIN that you are helping others create in the broader world. L’shana tova.”
“We are excited to welcome the staff of JOIN for Justice to NPEU!” said NPEU President Kayla Blado. “Through a collaborative process, JOIN’s management and the JOIN Workers’ Union were able to collaborate on a fair voluntary recognition agreement. Having a staff union will only make JOIN for Justice a stronger, more effective social justice organization.”
To learn more about training opportunities through JOIN, sign up for a monthly newsletter for announcements of public events and the next round of our online training Don’t Kvetch, Organize! which will be available in early 2021.
About NPEU:
The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) is a local of IFPTE and represents professionals employed at more than 30 nonprofit organizations (and counting), including employees at Jews United for Justice (JUFJ), Scholar Strategies Network (SSN), and Pittsburgh United. 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.