The past few years have seen a flurry of workers organizing across the country, from Starbucks and Amazon workers to new forms of cooperative ownership and governance sharing. NPQ’s column, We Stood Up, features the voices of people doing the hard work of realizing economic justice in their workplaces. These stories come from workers who want to share their experiences building a democratic economy and a fairer world so that others can learn from their efforts.
Five years ago, I found myself working at a midsized community development nonprofit. While the mission was noble, workplace conditions were far from ideal. Low wages, excessive workloads, and a lack of transparency in decision-making processes created an environment where many workers felt undervalued and overworked. Something needed to change.
Recognizing the Need for Change
The first step toward organizing came from casual conversations with colleagues. Over coffee breaks and during late-night work sessions, it became evident that my frustration was shared by many. We all believed in the nonprofit’s mission, but we were struggling to maintain our own wellbeing. I realized that our collective dissatisfaction held the potential for collective action.
“We gathered outside the boardroom, armed with copies of our demands and a petition signed by the majority of the staff.”
I reached out to a few trusted colleagues. We held our first informal meeting in a local park, away from the prying eyes of management. The response was overwhelming, People were eager for change but were unsure of how to achieve it. We decided to start by surveying our fellow workers to identify the most pressing issues. The survey revealed three main concerns: wages, workload, and transparency.
Developing a Strategy
Armed with this data, we drafted a list of demands. We sought a modest but meaningful wage increase, the hiring of additional staff to balance workloads, and regular town hall meetings with leadership to foster transparency and open communication. We also researched labor laws and nonprofit sector standards to ensure our demands were reasonable and legally sound.
Our next step was to present our demands to management. To ensure our voices were heard, we chose a day when the executive director and board members were present for their quarterly meeting. We gathered outside the boardroom, armed with copies of our demands and a petition signed by the majority of the staff.
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Presenting our demands was nerve-wracking. As the group’s spokesperson, I delivered a prepared speech outlining our concerns and the changes we sought. To our surprise, the executive director listened attentively and agreed to review our demands. This was a small but significant victory—it meant our voices were being heard at the highest levels of the organization.
Negotiations and Persistence
The weeks that followed were filled with negotiations. Management agreed to the wage increase and promised to hire additional staff, but the issue of transparency remained contentious. We persisted and organized regular meetings—keeping our fellow workers informed. Ultimately, our consistent pressure and solidarity paid off—management eventually agreed to bimonthly town hall meetings where staff could voice their concerns and receive updates directly from leadership.
By year’s end, we had achieved significant improvements. Higher wages had boosted morale; additional staff helped balance workloads; and the town hall meetings established a new culture of transparency and dialogue. Not only had working conditions improved, but our commitment to the organization’s mission had been strengthened.
Reflections
Organizing our workplace for better wages and fair treatment was a challenging but rewarding experience. We stood up for ourselves and each other, and in doing so, we created a more just and supportive work environment. When enough of us approached management together, we realized we had leverage, and the changes ultimately benefited not only workers but also the nonprofit itself.
For anyone considering similar actions, my advice is to start with open conversations, develop common demands, and be persistent. In many nonprofits, even where a union is lacking, change may be possible when people come together with common purpose and a determination to see it through.
