Groundwork Collaborative Ratifies First Union Contract
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kaitlin Bell, NPEU, kbell@npeu.org, 806-752-0529; Jae Aron, press@groundworkcollaborative.org
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2022 – The members of the Groundwork Collaborative Union ratified Groundwork’s inaugural collective bargaining agreement. This agreement is the first union contract for employees of Groundwork, who formed a union with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) on April 23, 2020.
“Our members are so excited to enact this first contract as a critical step toward ensuring that staff — especially our Black and brown coworkers — are heard, supported, and valued in our workplace,” said Heather Henriquez on behalf of the Groundwork Collaborative Union.
“I’m delighted to announce that Groundwork has reached an equitable and visionary workers-first collective bargaining agreement,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative. “We are incredibly proud of this first contract and look forward to working with Groundwork union members in the years to come to build a stronger, more equitable workplace for all employees.”
With ratification of the contract, Groundwork employees have secured improvements in pay, paid time-off, telework, promotion, hiring, and more. Contract highlights include:
Increases to all salary floors, including a minimum salary of $55,000
Addition of a fourth salary tier to facilitate internal promotion
Guaranteed cost–of-living increases and annual salary adjustments
Just-cause protections
Increases in the amount of paid time off for health and wellness of all employees
A fully hybrid workplace
A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, hiring, and promotion
“Congratulations to the Groundwork Collaborative on ratifying a strong first union contract,” said NPEU President Katie Barrows. “The standards established in this contract allow Groundwork to live its values and sets an example for other nonprofit organizations.”
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 40 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.
About Groundwork Collaborative:
The Groundwork Collaborative’s mission is to advance an economic vision for strong, broadly shared prosperity and true opportunity for all. Visit our website and follow us on Twitter @Groundwork.