Progressive Workers Union gains close to fifty new members as Sierra Employees Alliance begins process to affiliate
Media Contact
Oakland, CA – Sierra Employees Alliance (SEA), Sierra Club’s Oakland-based union, will begin the process to join Progressive Workers Union (PWU) as part of a merger agreement signed with the Sierra Club last week. The union’s 42 members will now be represented by Progressive Workers Union, and managed under PWU’s newly ratified National Contract.
“We’re excited about the merger between SEA and PWU, which will simplify labor relations at Sierra Club and save all of us time, energy and resources,” said Dylan Plummer, Unit Representative for PWU’s National Sierra Club Unit. “Combining our units will allow Sierra Club workers to speak with a single voice, and help our union ensure living wages and strong benefits for our members, a more democratic workplace and, in turn, a more effective organization. We are hopeful that this collaboration with the Sierra Club signals the organization’s commitment to working with our union and respecting our members’ federally protected rights in the face of the incoming Trump administration’s attacks on organized labor.”
The process requires a Unit Clarification Petition to the National Labor Relations Board, which was filed earlier this week, and which the Sierra Club agreed to support. While it could take months to get an official ruling, an MOU signed between the parties will require Sierra Club to treat the PWU National Unit collective bargaining agreement as the interim contract until the merger is officially sealed.
“We are heartened by this development in our years-long effort to merge with PWU,” said Sarah Sanne, Union President with SEA. “We look forward to a new chapter in our union’s history, uniting workers together across the organization.”
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About Progressive Workers Union: PWU represents staff that aid in climate justice work across five environmental organizations, including National and Chapter Staff with Sierra Club. Sierra Employees Alliance (SEA) was the union representing Sierra Club workers based in the Oakland area.