Lambda Legal Employees Win Union Election

“We did it—now let’s move forward together.”

(December 29, 2017, Washington, D.C.) Today, employees at Lambda Legal voted 42-8 in favor of forming a union at the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization working for the civil rights of LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV. Eligible staff in all six regional offices, including lawyers, fundraisers, communication and administrative and support staff will be members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. Alexis Paige, a legal assistant in the Midwest Regional Office of Lambda Legal and one of the leaders in the organizing effort, issued the following statement on behalf of the staff:

“Lambda Legal’s staff are some of the most hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals I know, and today I am proud that we came together across departments and regions, and stood up for ourselves and one another. Today’s election is the direct result of hard work and unwavering commitment to each other and Lambda Legal. Because of that hard work and commitment, we will have a seat at the table when the decisions that directly affect our lives are being made. We call on Lambda Legal leadership to join us at the table in good faith to negotiate a mutually agreeable contract that aligns with Lambda Legal’s ideals and moves the organization forward.

“The goals of our leadership and the well-being of employees are not mutually exclusive. Forming a union is consistent with Lambda Legal’s values of equality and inclusion. We fight in the courts and on the ground for LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV because we fundamentally believe that when our communities have a voice, our society will be a better place for all of us. Forming a union is a big step toward giving our employees a voice so Lambda Legal can be a better place.

“In the coming weeks, we will work with one another and with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild to agree on our priorities and negotiate a contract for our unit. We are looking forward to building a strong union that is inclusive and truly representative of our staff and our interests, and to a productive and respectful relationship with our leadership.”  

“We did it—now let’s move forward together.”

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For more information:
Email: lambdaunites@gmail.com; Twitter: @lambdaunites; Online: lambdaunites.org

Lambda Legal Employees Organize to Form Union

(New York, New York, December 5, 2017) Staff members of Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization working for the civil rights of LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV, announced today that they plan to unionize with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild and issued the following statement:

“As employees, we are dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and everyone living with HIV; we each also hold a very personal stake in the organization’s success. Lambda Legal has been a leader in the movement for LGBTQ people and people living with HIV since 1973, improving the lives of the communities we serve through persistent, strategic and ambitious legal advocacy, policy work and community education of the highest quality. As proud members of the Lambda Legal family, we see no better way to ensure the consistent quality of our work at the high level that today’s national landscape demands than to form a union. Unionizing helps us ensure a more equitable and transparent workplace for all Lambda Legal employees so that we can continue to advance our important mission.

“Our number one priority is, has always been and will continue to be the improvement of the lives of LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV. We are the lawyers, fundraisers, communication and administrative and support staff that made the success of the past 40+ years possible. We want a collective voice and a seat at the table as the organization evolves and plans its response to an increasingly hostile federal administration and ever-changing legal landscape for LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV.”

Employees will vote by mail-in ballot in a representational election in the coming weeks.

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For more information:
Email: lambdaunites@gmail.com; Twitter: @lambdaunites