WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2022) — A supermajority of more than 75 percent of eligible staff of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund have joined together to form Leadership Conference Workers United (LCWU) and request formal voluntary recognition of their union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. LCWU is requesting a response from Leadership Conference leadership by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20. If the request is ignored or denied, they plan to file for an election through the National Labor Relations Board.
“In forming a union, we find inspiration in the legacy of our coalition’s cofounder, A. Philip Randolph, whose birthday we celebrate this week,” wrote LCWU. “We also honor The Leadership Conference’s long history of advocacy on behalf of workers and the central role major unions have played both in our coalition and on our boards.”
The unit of 53 employees of the nation’s oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition said they are unionizing in appreciation of their coalition’s legacy and with the hope of collaborating with outgoing interim president and CEO, Wade Henderson, and incoming president and CEO, Maya Wiley, both of whom are well-known, outspoken advocates for the rights and dignity of working people. “We make the choice to devote our time and energy to this process as a statement of personal investment in and deeply felt care for The Leadership Conference and its long-term success. We believe by raising our voice collectively — as a diverse group of workers from different levels and departments — we can better work with senior leadership to successfully address workplace issues and to make The Leadership Conference an even better place to work,” they wrote.
LCWU plans to continue the organizations’ tradition of transparent and open communication to address employee career growth and retention, among other benefits that better align with the policies The Leadership Conference lobbies for at the federal level.
“We believe this process will help the organizations recruit and retain workers, and will set up The Leadership Conference for its next 72 years and beyond of service to the movement,” they said.