Support us in building labor power

John,

This year could signal the start of a sea change for the labor movement. Our team believes that building power in the labor movement is essential to driving equitable solutions to the climate crisis and that the recent uptick in labor activism signals new, dynamic ways of organizing.

Will you join us in building off of this momentum in the new year by making a tax-deductible donation?

You might have noticed that we operate a little differently around here. Breach is a unionized, worker-led organization. We prioritize upholding a progressive workplace model that pushes back on harmful employment practices common in the nonprofit sector. We value care, connection, and building solidarity and power within labor-climate organizing.

The increased interest in unionizing among climate and environmental nonprofit workers paired with our team’s experience leading strong and effective unionization campaigns at other organizations has established Breach as a trusted ally, supporter, and strategic partner for nonprofit workers within the climate and environmental justice movement. We’re known to push for bold and meaningful change to advance worker justice. We love and are deeply committed to this work.

Consistent with our objective to grow union density and worker power within the progressive nonprofit sector, this year our team:

Ratified one of the most progressive contracts in the U.S.

We worked closely with our Board of Directors to ratify one of the most progressive contracts in the United States. Our staff and board are wildly proud of our contract, which includes:

• 32-hour full-time work week

• Unlimited sick days

• 6 months family leave

• Wage parity provisions

• 50 vacation days per year

Developed resources and materials for nonprofit workers

We debuted our first iteration of organizing resources in March at the Public Interest Environmental Law conference in Eugene, Oregon. After the conference we received multiple requests for these resources from non-conference attendees. As a result, we adapted the brochures into Instagram posts (for workers and for management) and online PDFs (for workers and for management) for wider dissemination. We are partnering with our union, Communications Workers of America, to build on this work and develop an exciting new project that will launch in early 2024. If you’re a nonprofit worker who’s interested in starting a successful unionization campaign at your workplace, this is for you. Stay tuned!

Supported workers at nonprofits across Oregon

This year, we increased our capacity to support grassroots unionization campaigns across Oregon. Our team worked to develop tactics to organize workplaces, launch public unionization campaigns, navigate flagrant union-busting efforts from management, and win progressive contracts.

Supported the development of Green Union Hall

Breach staff came together with organizers and union-members from other environmental nonprofits to form Green Union Hall - a hub of solidarity and support for organizing efforts in the nonprofit sector. This fall the group launched a workshop series on unionizing your nonprofit. The series provides a space for the union curious and those who are going through this process for the first time to learn organizing skills, ask questions, and build solidarity.

Joined the interim Executive Board of our union’s Local

Breach staff have stepped into interim leadership roles at the Local, Communications Workers of America 7901, as Area Vice Presidents. We are working closely with the District and other interim members in leadership at the Local to lay the groundwork necessary for 7901 to gain new membership and thrive, build trust and relationships with active members, and bring in new, progressive-minded nonprofit unions to the Local.

The only way we are going to see this sea change is if we work together across sectors to organize more workers and execute mass movement-wide coordination. We know what unions could look like in the U.S. with fearless organizing efforts. Revolutionary change is never easy. We’re all in. Are you?

Will you join us in this fight by making a donation today?

With gratitude and in solidarity,

Meg and the Breach Team

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