Solidarity for Good: How Workers Across the Movement are Organizing
Session Type(s): Panel
Do you work for a progressive nonprofit, political campaign, consulting firm, or tech company? Unions are for you too! Over the past few years, thousands of workers have been a part of organizing new unions in the progressive movement. Join union organizers and members as they share the actions they’ve taken to democratize progressive workplaces, win more sustainable working conditions, and grow the labor movement. From forming their unions to enacting pay transparency, building wage floors, and implementing racial equity principles—panelists will discuss some of the common challenges and successes in workplace organizing and explain what they have learned as they continue to build power in their workplaces and beyond.
Moderator
Kim Kelly
Kim Kelly is a freelance writer and organizer based in Philadelphia. She is currently the labor columnist for Teen Vogue, and her writings on labor, politics, and culture have appeared in the New Republic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, Pacific Standard, and many others. She is a proud member of and councilperson for the Writers Guild of America, East, and has been active in multiple organizing and contract campaigns (including serving as a worker-organizer for the VICE Union) since 2015.
Panelists
Kayla Blado
Kayla Blado (she/her) has served as the President of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union-IFPTE Local 70 since early 2018. She first became an NPEU member in 2016 when she was hired by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which is organized with NPEU. Today, she represents hundreds of nonprofit workers across more than 25 organizations, while also working full-time as the Director of Media Relations at EPI. Her work with NPEU has been featured in the “Washington Post,” “In These Times,” “Strikewave” and others. Previously, Kayla worked in union communications and radio production in her home state of Wisconsin.
Amy Chin-Lai
Amy Chin-Lai (she/her) is passionate about mobilizing progressive activism through great technology. As the Partner Resource Coordinator at Action Network, Amy supports and trains organizers on how to use the tools effectively and reach higher levels of engagement. When Amy is not monitoring email click rates, you can find her listening to true crime podcasts and talking to her dog, Skippy.
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