Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation

@ulw4tl

follow our fight🔥 ALAA - UAW Local 2325

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Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· 10d

Layoff Negotiation Updates!

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· 18d

We’d love for you to show your solidarity with @ulw4tl.bsky.social and support our fight for layoff protections by sharing the attached graphics! DM us your email address if you’d like to receive our Partner Toolkit, which includes all the ways you can support our campaign.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· 23d

Our statement. Please sign the petition and spread word: forms.gle/2jVpUTaFu7ZV...

SIGN OUR PETITION
Our statement and link are in our bio

STATEMENT FROM U4TL ON A4TE'S
"ECONOMIC RETRENCHMENT"
ON THURSDAY, JULY 23RD, THE UNION FOR TRANS LIBERATION (U4TL) MET WITH ADVOCATES FOR TRANS EQUALITY'S (A4TE) EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM (ELT) FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A4TE ANNOUNCED
"ECONOMIC RETRENCHMENT" AND
"POTENTIALLY ELIMINAT[ING] SOME POSITIONS" TO THE PUBLIC-AND ELT SHOWED UP UNPREPARED.
OUR UNION MEMBERS ORGANIZED, RATIFIED OUR CONTRACT, AND CAME TO THE TABLE YESTERDAY READY TO WORK. WE WERE SURPRISED WHEN MANAGEMENT WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER BASIC, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR ORGANIZATION. IDEALLY, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO ANSWER THEM BEFORE ANNOUNCING POTENTIAL LAYOFFS TO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PUBLIC. STAFF AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE DESERVE BETTER THAN THAT.

A4TE'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF POTENTIAL LAYOFFS HAS CREATED HURT, FEAR, AND UNCERTAINTY AMONG OUR MEMBERS. WE RELY ON A4TE FOR OUR LIVELIHOODS, OUR HEALTHCARE, AND SUPPORTING OUR FAMILIES. WE HAVE DEDICATED OUR SKILLS, OUR PASSION, AND COUNTLESS HOURS TO THIS ORGANIZATION IN SERVICE OF THE TRANS COMMUNITY—AND THE MAJORITY OF US ARE TRANS OURSELVES.
THE THREAT OF LAYOFFS IS DAUNTING, BUT WE ARE ORGANIZED AND READY TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS.
U4TL RECENTLY RATIFIED OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA), WHICH SPELLS OUT EXACTLY WHAT MANAGEMENT MUST DO BEFORE ANY LAYOFFS MOVE FORWARD: SHARE INFORMATION, BARGAIN OVER
ALTERNATIVES, AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A WAY FORWARD THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE'S JOBS.

WE ARE NOW BEGINNING THAT PROCESS — WHICH STARTS WITH REQUESTING A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM MANAGEMENT —AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHARE VERIFIED UPDATES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT U4TL MEMBERS, YOU CAN SIGN OUR OPEN LETTER PLEDGING TO SUPPORT U4TL IN ITS DEMAND THAT A4TE MEANINGFULLY CONSIDER THE UNION'S PROPOSALS AND REACH AN AGREEMENT THAT PRESERVES UNION JOBS, TAGGING A4TE IN OUR UNION POSTS, AND EMAILING A4TE@TRANSEQUALITY.ORG TO VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO ANY LAYOFFS.
Our statement and link are in our bio

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Apr 9

@transequality.bsky.social says they want to set the standard for LGBTQI+ nonprofit workplaces. Our reality tells a different story. 96% of our union has authorized a strike. If no agreement is reached by May 4th, WE WILL STRIKE.

"Setting the standard for LGBTQI+ nonprofit employers"
That's what Advocates for Trans Equality
(A4TE) says - but our reality looks very different.

For the past 8 months, we have been negotiating our contract.
Here is what we have experienced from Executive Leadership and C-Suite:
Staff have been questioned, spoken down to, and treated as unintelligent-especially those without law degrees.
Work has been bottlenecked and made unnecessarily difficult, harming relationships with external partners.
Executive Leadership and C-suite have shut down our Name Change Project (NCP), put jobs at risk, threatened the position of our union chapter president, and called union members liars.

And yet, Executive Leadership and C-suite publicly claim to support equity, trust, and strong workplace standards all while proposing:

Removing COLAs → because we're a "new organization"
Keeping layoff power → because of the "last contract"

So which is it, A4TE leadership? Are we a new organization or bound by the old contract?

The Union has already voted - 96% of union members authorized a strike.

If no agreement is made by May 4th, WE WILL STRIKE.

A4TE leadership, if you want to be the
"model standard", prove it.
Our union remains in solidarity and demands:

• Equitable layoff protections
• Fair COLAS

Show us who you really are.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

Throughout bargaining management has engaged in egregious violations of fair labor practices, including regressive bargaining, & has refused to meet our demands in good faith. But U4TL is not backing down in this fight. We will win a contract that trans & allied workers at A4TE need and deserve.

Throughout bargaining management has engaged in egregious violations of fair labor practices, including regressive bargaining, and has refused to meet our demands in good faith.

But U4TL is not backing down in this fight.
We will win a contract that trans and allied workers at A4TE need and deserve.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

The Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) sends a clear message of U4TL’s solidarity and readiness to take action if A4TE management fails to meet our demands on fair wages, job security, layoff protections, and union preservation.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

BREAKING: 96% YES to authorize a strike! U4TL members voted overwhelmingly in support of authorizing our bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary.

96% YES
to authorize a strike!
U4TL members voted overwhelmingly in support of authorizing our bargaining
committee to call for a strike if necessary

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 20

Breaking! A4TE management is resorting to coercive bargaining tactics: holding our raises hostage to pressure us into a deal. We will not be intimidated. We will not back down. We are united in our fight for a fair contract.

BREAKING:
U4TL filed a
grievance against management for refusing to pay our contractual salary step increases while we are bargaining

This is an unfair labor practice and a violation of our CBA.
Decades of NLRB
precedent makes it clear: even after a contract expires, workers retain the right to established wages and step increases.

A4TE management is resorting to coercive bargaining tactics: holding our raises hostage to pressure us into a deal.
We will not be intimidated.
We will not back down.
We are united in our fight for a fair contract.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Jan 22

We want a fair
• contract-and a clear future.
We are demanding a contract that:
• Protects union jobs during an increasingly hostile, anti-trans political climate
• Guarantees transparency around restructuring
• Gives workers real insight into the org chart and budget
How can we agree to a contract when we have no idea what A4TE will look like in a few months? We deserve the full picture before being asked to commit.

Collective action is how we protect each other.
Workers across A4TE are moving together. We are building power, planning next steps, and prepared to take further collective action.
When workers move together, change follows.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Jan 22

UPDATE ON BARGAINING: U4TL is in the final stages of bargaining. Our contract has expired and we are still fighting for the following…

U4TL is in the final stages of bargaining.
Our contract has expired and we are still fighting for:
• Job preservation and layoff protections
• Fair wages and pay equity
• Transparency about the future of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE)

We cannot bargain fairly without knowing what A4TE plans for the future of our employment and working conditions.
A4TE management has delayed sharing the new organizational chart and budget-information that would massively impact our jobs and our contract.

Job preservation isn't "nice to have"-it is essential.
Right now, A4TE management hasn't shared the restructured organization chart-even though it directly affects who stays, who goes, and what our jobs look like.
When critical information is withheld, it feels intentional-and it puts workers at risk.

We're working without a
contract-and it's showing.
Departments are seeing drastic changes to their workload, roles, and expectations-without safeguards in place.
That is why we are escalating.
This Friday (1/23), all-shop members will attend open bargaining to show management that we are in solidarity with our

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Dec 9

Hey y’all, guess who’s STILL stalling on economics—and who just canceled the final bargaining session of the year? Yep. @transequality.bsky.social’s Management. They clearly don’t care that the BU will lose protections heading into the new year.

Dr.Evil and his quotation marks sign language and the word “negotiations”

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Dec 1

We are back at the bargaining table! And it's been FIVE months. There is no time but the present, @transequality.bsky.social Let's Negotiate!

We're back!
The ULW4TL is back at the bargaining table and boy are we mad! We have been back to the bargaining table for 5 months and have yet to receive comprehensive economic offers.
Since our initial contract in 2023, the rate of inflation has skyrocketed and Trump's tariffs have significantly reduced buying power. Since then, our salaries have only received 2.5% COLAs per year. Not only has inflation skyrocketed, the cost of rent has increased between 5-6% yearly in NYC and D.C., where the majority of our unit lives.
A4TE has cited budgetary concerns, and while we sympathize with these difficulties, we find them to be self-inflicted. A4TE chose to hire a plethora of C-Suite staff with high salaries and chose to increase its CEO's salary by nearly 100k from 2023-2024 according to the latest IRS filings.
Poor budgetary planning, especially when management knows contract negotiations were around the corner is not the Unit's fault. Contract negotiations were foreseeable by management, but the respective unions at TLDEF and NCTE were blindsided by the costly merger that has seemingly left management only with enough money to give themselves thousands in raises while barely offering the status quo to its least paid and underappreciated staff.

Management expects to exhaust us with a drawn out,
"woe is me" approach. Unfortunately, this strategy only energizes the most tired of us all. Management will now have to deal with a forceful and unrelenting public resistance to this strategy until our needs are met.
A Union's first contract is the floor and we have no where to go but up. This organization will crumble without its administrators, its organizers, its policy team, its communications staff, its development team, or its legal team. A machine without its cogs, breaks.
There is no time but the present, @transequalitynow
Let's Negotiate.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

We are proud to be part of a union of thousands of legal advocates and attorneys who understand that a threat to one is a threat to all. You can find ALAA’s statement here: www.instagram.com/p/DHFFoKIsJV... #FreeMahmoudkhalil

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

As the federal government is restricting trans people’s ability to travel & immigrate, targeting trans people in custody, & increasing its surveillance & criminalization, it’s important to recognize that fights for trans liberation, immigrants’ rights, & Palestinian freedom are inextricably linked.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

Consistent with our past statements, our union remains steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian freedom. we continue to be disappointed by our organization’s silence, which has negatively impacted partnerships in our work.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Mar 12

Official statement: ULW4TL condemns the illegal targeting, kidnapping, and detention of mahmoud khalil and joins @alaa2325 in demanding his immediate release and cessation of all deportation proceedings.

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

If you truly believe in protecting trans lives, open your wallets. Donate to A4TE & other trans-led organizations. This movement is under attack—but together, we can ensure it remains strong. #UnionStrong #TransRightsAreLaborRights (10/10) Donate here: bit.ly/transled

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

If you are a movement worker facing a layoff, please contact us at ulw4tl@gmail.com. We will do our best to share leads & connect impacted workers with new opportunities. We can’t promise help for everyone, but we will try. (8/10)

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

We must send a clear message: unionization is our shield. It ensures workers have a voice in decisions affecting their lives & livelihoods. Movement workers across organizations must unionize & fight for fair, just workplaces. (6/10)

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

By contrast, we appreciate that A4TE, a trans-centered org, has worked to reduce costs without layoffs. These conversations matter. Leadership’s commitment to workers is crucial in the fight against this anti-trans regime. (5/10)

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

The justification for these layoffs at HRC demands scrutiny. Their payroll is $21.5M for 300 staff, yet 18 executives take home $5.19M—nearly 25% of all salaries. Even modest pay cuts at the top could have saved many jobs. (3/10)

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Feb 6

This is a stark reminder of the uncertainty & cruelty we face under this administration. Funding & sustainability are crucial to keeping our communities safe. Organizations must prioritize protecting workers—not padding executive salaries. (2/10)

Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation@ulw4tl· Nov 28

On behalf of ULW4TL, we’re proud to share our first post on Bluesky. We reaffirm our commitment to fighting for the safety, dignity, & liberation of trans communities. Our collective power is rooted in solidarity, & we will not waver in the face of fear and division. Read our full statement below. 👇

As a union of 22 trans and allied staff, we will always fight for our trans community. Trans people deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to live as our authentic selves. Sadly, right-wing extremists have chosen to attack trans people because of what we represent- that gender should be a playground to express yourself, not a prison to confine people.

$Our culture has changed immensely over the past several decades thanks to the activism of communities of color, feminists, and queer and trans people. These gains have sparked a backlash from those who fear progress, and unfortunately, our opposition has done everything possible to keep us fractured as a movement. Too many leaders have fallen for these divisive tactics, but we refuse to accept this. Our community does not deserve to be scapegoated.$