Non-Profit Workers Fight to Protect Union Jobs

The US-based staff at Open Society Foundations, a grantmaking network that supports civil society groups around the world, are speaking out against the organization’s restructuring plans - in particular, its plans to replace full-time staff with contractors and cut jobs. 

The organization, worth $25 billion, announced earlier this year that it will lay off at least 40% of its 800 staff worldwide as part of a reorganization effort aimed at making the organization “more nimble”.

US-based workers, represented by CWA Local 1180, signed an open letter to OSF’s leadership to demand protections for workers and express concerns about the impact of layoffs and office closures on the organization’s mission.

“We are deeply concerned by the proposal to outsource essential functions currently within staff capacity to contractors, temporary staff or fixed term workers outside Union protection. Inadvertently or not, this shift will undermine employees' labor protections and ability to collectively organize. This has the effect of union busting, and is antithetical to OSF’s commitment to strengthen workers’ dignity and rights.”

The letter, signed by nearly 150 OSF workers, was delivered to OSF leadership, and the union called on OSF to listen to the voices of their staff at the bargaining table and work together in good faith to secure the foundation's path forward with a fair contract.

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