FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE EMPLOYEES WIN UNION ELECTION 61-2
CONTACT: Melinda Fiedler, mfiedler@opeiu-tristate.org, 202-907-1725
NEW YORK, July 12, 2022 - With a final vote of 61-2 (97%), employees at the Guttmacher Institute successfully won their NLRB election to form their union, Guttmacher Employees United (GEU), with OPEIU Local 153. The Guttmacher Institute is a leading nonprofit research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and globally. The union represents over 60 staff members in multiple positions and divisions, and is affiliated with Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153.
In their initial letter to management announcing their intent to unionize, the GEU organizing committee writes, “In the spirit of Guttmacher’s vision for ‘a future in which all people can realize their rights and access the resources they need to achieve sexual and reproductive health,’ we are commited to unionizing in order to ensure that we as staff have appropriate and meaningful channels of advocacy, representation, and employment protection.”
After more than two years of working to protect sexual and reproductive rights during a pandemic, members of GEU have come together to address concerns including staff retention, morale, and pay equity. With over 50 years of research and policy expertise, Guttmacher is one of the leaders in the reproductive rights movement. GEU believes a union is vital to supporting the Institute’s work in this crucial moment for abortion rights in the United States, as well as ensuring the Institute’s sustainability for years to come.
GEU states in response to winning their union “We are excited to work together to make necessary changes in our workplace—changes essential for us to face, with renewed vigor, [in] this critical moment for reproductive rights.,” Staff at Guttmacher are proud to join other organizations in the sexual and reproductive health and rights field who have unionized their workplaces, including Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, the National Abortion Federation, AccessMatters, and Feminist Majority Foundation.
Follow Guttmacher Employees United on Twitter and Instagram at @GuttUnion, and follow @opeiu153 for updates on other organizing campaigns.
About OPEIU:
OPEIU Local 153, a local of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, represents employees in nonprofit organizations, technology, credit unions, hospitals, insurance agencies, colleges and universities, hotels, administrative offices and more. OPEIU is committed to advancing economic justice for working people no matter their occupation.
