Staff at INCLUDEnyc vote unanimously to join OPEIU Local 153
In December 2021, employees at INCLUDEnyc voted unanimously to unionize with OPEIU Local 153 in New York. Their union, Union INCLUDEd, is composed of 27 family educators, youth and family coordinators and administrative and operational staff at the New York City-based nonprofit, which works with disabled young people and their families, connecting them with educational, employment and living opportunities and resources. Grounded in this mission, Union INCLUDEd prioritized the needs and concerns of disabled people through every step of the unionization process.
Staff decided to unionize in response to a number of issues, including salary discrepancies, unfair promotion processes and a lack of transparency, according to Dana Kopel, a Local 153 organizer. Neil Purohit, an organizing committee member and youth coordinator who started at INCLUDEnyc during the pandemic, pointed to “the lack of understanding of processes and decision-making voiced by co-workers,” particularly those who have worked at the organization for several years. Issues of sustainability and capacity pushed staff to ask “leadership to really think about how being overworked and not having strong organizational systems can result in people struggling,” said Colin Montgomery, a senior family educator and fellow organizing committee member. The entire process was conducted through a framework of disability justice.
With this election win, Union INCLUDEd members can collectively bargain to create a workplace designed for all people and to make sure every voice is heard. In addition to negotiating for greater transparency, clearer protocols and a voice in organization-wide decision-making, union members hope to secure better pay and benefits—particularly to address health expenses disproportionately affecting disabled staff—as well as flexible scheduling and improved leave policy to make INCLUDEnyc a more accessible and sustainable place to work.
Asked if they had any advice for other nonprofit workers forming their own unions, Union INCLUDEd organizers emphasized the importance of accessibility and inclusiveness, concerns they’re familiar with from their work, their union campaign and their own lived experiences. Purohit encouraged “folks to go the extra mile to create spaces that are not just available but inviting—to make folks sharing their voices not just an option but a necessity to move things forward at each stage.”
“Make sure you know your people,” said Maggie Downham, an organizing committee member and family educator at INCLUDEnyc. “Everyone’s voice is so critical, and you’re representing the whole when you’re unionizing.” Montgomery said while “every union should center intersectional justice, it’s easy for disability to fall out” of the framework. As a union, he said, “we want to make sure there’s a commitment to equity, really centering accessibility and the experiences of people with disabilities as a team. You’re building power for the future, not just now.”