Voces de la Frontera Staff Win Recognition of Their Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Katie Barrows, NPEU, kbarrows@npeu.org, 360-624-6936

MILWAUKEE, March 2, 2020 - The collective workers of Voces de la Frontera have formed a union with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). The staff union, known as Voces Unidxs, was voluntarily recognized by Voces de la Frontera management following certification via card check.

“The recognition of the Voces Unidxs comes at a historic moment in which the global pandemic reinforces the necessity of protecting working-class communities. We are proud to see Voces de la Frontera take action to recognize the voice of their workers and formally affirm their commitment to the advancement of immigrant, worker, and student rights.” Voces Undixs stated. “This is an exciting chapter in Voces de la Frontera’s legacy, and we look forward to collaborative negotiations with management that will build on our shared values.”

“Voces de la Frontera is a working class organization led by low wage immigrant workers and their families,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director and founder of Voces de la Frontera. “We have a long and proud history of being at the vanguard of low wage worker and immigrant rights organizing in powerful ways, such as Day Without Latinxs & Immigrants general strikes and most recently in the fight to win important life saving protections against COVID-19 for essential workers and their families in the food industry. Voces’ philosophy is that the immigrant rights movement is fundamentally a working class global movement. As such, we have always held the principle that we must practice what we preach. As an organization that proudly defends the right of working class people to freely organize, form unions, and collectively bargain for a better future, Voces strongly and unquestionably supports our staff in joining the NPEU union.”

“We are excited that Voces Unidxs was able to work collaboratively with Voces de la Frontera management on voluntary recognition,” said NPEU President Kayla Blado. “Next, we look forward to supporting Voces Unidxs as they negotiate their first union contract. We know that with a union contract Voces de la Frontera will be a stronger organization.”

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 30 nonprofit organizations (and counting), 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.