National Women's Law Center and NWLC United Sign First Collective Bargaining Agreement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Olympia Feil, ofeil@nwlc.org; Valeria Mejía-Guevara, NPEU, contact@npeu.org; Selina Tran, NWLC United, stran@nwlc.org
WASHINGTON, (October 20, 2022) Today NWLC United and the National Women’s Law Center announced the end of negotiations and the ratification of their inaugural collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The agreement, signed on October 7, is the first union contract for employees of NWLC, who formed a union with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) that was voluntarily recognized by NWLC on April 22, 2020.
“The success of this first CBA is living proof that unions help women and gender-expansive people. It recognizes our staff’s humanity over our labor, and it doesn’t just help us—it provides material resources for our families, it is an investment in our communities, and it is an opportunity for radical rest and joy,“ said the NWLC United Bargaining Committee in a collective statement.
“We are at a critical moment—a truly unprecedented time—for building worker power in this country, and I’m honored to lead an organization that is union proud. Our institution is stronger going forward because of this agreement,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. Added Nancy Withbroe, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff, and member of the management bargaining committee, “This process is proof that wins can be defined collectively. From tripling the maximum retirement contributions to raising the minimum salary to implementing regular checkpoints to hold ourselves accountable on DEI and Belonging efforts, these significant enhancements are not only reflective of our commitment to staff well-being, but to our shared desire to be a standard-bearer for employer-employee relationships.”
With ratification of the contract, NWLC United employees have secured improvements in pay, paid time off, COVID protections, telework and remote work, and more. Contract highlights include:
A 20% increase to the NWLC salary floor;
Guaranteed annual cost-of-living salary increases;
Increases in sick and bereavement leave;
Increases in office closures, holidays, family and medical leave, annual leave, and study leave;
A commitment to a hybrid workplace, including telework and remote work eligible positions;
Greater health insurance and retirement benefits.
“A pandemic, an economic crisis, and endless attacks on our lives have propelled us through this bargaining process,” said the NWLC United Bargaining Committee in a collective statement. “We’re proud to have secured policies that will help our staff weather these times while they fight for all of us.”
“Congratulations to the members of NWLC United on securing their first contract,” said NPEU President Hayley Brown. “This contract is a testament to NWLC’s commitment to living its values. Its contents raise the bar for our industry and set an example that we hope to see other nonprofits follow.”
About NPEU:
The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), a local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, represents professionals employed at 49 nonprofit organizations (and counting), including employees at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Every Texan, and Jobs to Move America. 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.
About National Women’s Law Center:
The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society—working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. For 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women, using the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us—especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.
About NWLC United:
National Women’s Law Center United is a union run by the employees at NWLC and an affiliate of NPEU. Our mission is to advance gender justice for our comrades in the workplace and for everyone in all of our diverse communities. Follow us on Twitter @nwlcunion.