With Unanimous Support, Food & Water Workers’ Union Ratifies First Contract
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Valeria Mejía-Guevara, NPEU, contact@npeu.org; Wenonah Hauter, FWW, whauter@fwwatch.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 9, 2022) The staff union at Food & Water Watch have announced the ratification of their first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with 100% participation and unanimous support. The members of the Food & Water Workers’ Union formed their union with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) in fall 2019 and were later recognized by management that December.
"We formed our union out of a deep commitment to the work we do at Food & Water Watch, and to the bold and uncompromised mission of the organization,” said the Food & Water Workers’ Union Bargaining Committee in a collective statement. “We know that empowering and protecting the workers at Food & Water Watch will make us a stronger, more effective organization, and we're excited for this new era.”
“We’re delighted to have a new contract in place. The contract we just signed not only provides outstanding pay, benefits, and working conditions for FWW staff members, but it sets the stage for the continued long-term growth and success of FWW as an organization,” said Wenonah Hauter, Founder and Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “We valued the collegial and productive relationships we built with the Union team throughout the negotiations for this contract. We look forward to nurturing and deepening those relationships in the coming years as we work together in our fight for a sustainable food system, clean water, and a livable climate for all.”
Within their ratified contract, Food & Water Watch employees have secured improvements in pay, paid time off, professional development resources, and more. Contract highlights include:
Immediate raises and $1,000 inflation offset payment;
Guaranteed annual salary increases;
Increases in personal, family leave, and emergency leave in case of climate/infrastructure disasters;
Just Cause protection;
Additional resources for training and professional development;
Commitment on DEI initiatives for a more equitable workplace
“Congratulations to Food & Water Workers’ Union on ratification of their first contract,” said NPEU President Hayley Brown. “NPEU is proud to stand alongside you as you celebrate this important milestone. A just transition to a green future requires that workers have a seat at the table. This contract will help make the work to create that future more sustainable.”
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 Friends of the Earth, Washington Center for Equitable Growth, and Jews United for Justice. 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 Food and Water Watch:
To protect our food, water, and climate, Food & Water Watch organizes people around the country to build political power. We mobilize at the local, state, and federal levels to win the fights others are afraid to even take on. From banning fracking, to shutting down factory farms, to making sure communities across the country have access to clean water, we’ve fought against greedy corporations and their allies in government. And we’ve won time after time.