Union Rally Highlights National Audubon Society’s Labor Violations at Leadership Conference

After National Audubon Society Found in Violation of Federal Labor Law, Union Calls on Dr. Gray to Join Negotiations and Settle Contract with Union Staff

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Attendees at the 2023 Audubon Leadership Conference in Estes Park are learning as much about labor contracts as conservation efforts this week. The union employees of the National Audubon Society brought their fight for a fair contract to the conference, holding rallies and educating attendees from Audubon chapters across the country about their struggle for a fair contract that will strengthen the organization.

The union members represented by the Bird Union-CWA have been working to negotiate a first contract with Audubon for 20 months. The negotiations have been overseen by a federal mediator since March.

The workers won a critical victory last month when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that, across four cases, Audubon violated federal labor law during its negotiations with the Bird Union-CWA by bargaining in bad faith and violating the rights of its workers. Earlier this year, Audubon rolled out new, enhanced benefits only to non-union staff, while withholding the benefits from union staff, then presented them to the union as contract proposals and urged the union to quickly accept the substandard and incomplete contract in order to access the new benefits.

“At the bargaining table, we’ve been fighting for the benefits that our families need, like expanding paid parental leave beyond the two weeks we currently have,” said Lindsy Buckland, office coordinator for Audubon’s Seabird Institute in Maine and a member of the bargaining committee. “While dragging out negotiations, Audubon expanded parental leave benefits for non-union staff but denied that benefit to us. For my coworker who had a baby this year, that is time that they will never get back with their family.”

Audubon broke the law by initially refusing to bargain with union members over several mandatory subjects of bargaining, including wages and healthcare benefits. Audubon unilaterally imposed changes to the union members’ healthcare plan without negotiating with the union, raising costs for union members. The organization also violated the law by refusing to share essential data and information needed to effectively negotiate a fair contract.

“We have been fighting for so long to have a voice in making Audubon a better place to work,” said Matthew Crocker, accounting and finance associate at the John James Audubon Center in Pennsylvania and member of the bargaining committee. “We urge Dr. Gray to join us at the bargaining table to get a fair contract now.”

“It is time for Audubon to protect the people who protect the birds,” said Soncey Kondrotis, operations manager at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary in Nebraska. “We are dedicated professionals who drive Audubon’s mission, so getting Dr. Gray to sit down at the bargaining table and settle a fair contract is about strengthening Audubon and our conservation efforts.”

Despite the workers’ collaborative approach to forming their union and negotiating a fair contract that strengthens the organization, Audubon management has taken multiple actions to delay and derail the process. After a majority of eligible workers demanded recognition in 2021, Audubon forced workers to go through 12 separate regional union elections overseen by the NLRB instead of voluntarily recognizing the will of their employees.

Since negotiations began, Audubon has hired the notoriously anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson and has at times gone months without meeting with the workers’ bargaining committee. While some tentative agreements have been made, Audubon has not agreed to wages or benefits.

For high resolution photography or video of today’s event, please contact mbulloch@cwa-union.org. Livestream is available at www.instagram.com/thebirdunion/.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

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