Posts tagged non-profit
Measure Designed to Allow Nonprofit Employees to Unionize Advances Over Lightfoot’s Objection
March 15, 2023 // A measure designed to make it easier for workers at Chicago nonprofit organizations to unionize advanced Tuesday over the objections of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, a coalition of social service agencies and the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. After languishing in limbo for more than three years, the proposal — dubbed the Human Service Workforce Advancement Ordinance — now heads to the Chicago City Council for a final vote on Wednesday. A joint body made up of the committees on Health and Human Relations and Workforce Development advanced the plan Tuesday with a vote of 24-5 after a contentious two-hour meeting. Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Department of Public Health, urged City Council members to delay a vote on the proposal, saying it could have unanticipated consequences that could disrupt the organizations that make up the city’s social safety net.
Why Workers at Growing Number of Nonprofits Are Unionizing
February 2, 2023 // Nonprofit employees may be more predisposed to unionizing than other workers. They tend to be younger, well educated, and altruistic — a perfect blend of characteristics that tip people toward interest in unions, says David Zonderman, a history professor at North Carolina State University who teaches labor and nonprofit history. Nonprofits come out of a tradition of charity and sacrifice, and most pay their employees less than private companies and government. As a result, many unionizing workers are looking for livable wages and opportunities to advance, all the more important as housing costs and inflation have shot up. Others see unions as a way to press for greater racial equity.