Employees at IFES Move Forward in Union

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 26, 2022) — A supermajority of eligible staff at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) are forming a union and request formal voluntary recognition of their union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. The IFES Staff Union is requesting a response from IFES leadership by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 28. In the event that the request is ignored or denied, they have also filed for an election through the National Labor Relations Board. 

The organization’s leadership has already expressed anti-union sentiments to employees through emails and a captive audience meeting, but employees are determined to give leadership the opportunity to move forward in partnership. The unit of 114 employees said they are unionizing in appreciation of their organization’s central goal of building democracies that deliver for all. 

“We have made the choice to devote our time and energy to this process as a statement of personal investment in and deeply felt care for IFES and our partners around the world,” wrote the IFES Staff Union in its letter to IFES leadership. “Through hundreds of hours of intentional conversations, compromise, and collaboration with colleagues over the past year, we’ve built a strong coalition to help make our workplace better for all.”
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The IFES Staff Union plans to prioritize the democratic ideals of transparent and open communication to address employee career growth and retention, among other benefits that better align with the organization’s core values of inclusion, trust, accountability, and integrity. “Our union will champion the voices of all staff to ensure a working environment that prioritizes equity, accountability, and transparency of decision-making at IFES as we work to build democracies that deliver for all, globally and within IFES,” they said.