Freedom House and Staff Union Sign First Collective-Bargaining Agreement

Freedom House is proud to affirm its support for the important role of labor unions in democracy. 

Press release November 7, 2024

WASHINGTON—In response to the enactment of Freedom House’s first collective-bargaining agreement, the organization’s interim president, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, issued the following statement:

“We are pleased to announce that Freedom House and its staff union have signed and ratified their first collective-bargaining agreement after a year and a half of negotiations. The three-year contract took effect on November 1 and covers more than 80 US-based employees, though we are committed to ensuring that the entire organization enjoys improvements in pay, benefits, and working conditions as a result of this process.

“Freedom House has long recognized the important role played by independent labor unions in the expansion of democracy, and we regularly incorporate union rights into our assessments of freedom of association around the world. The fact that we are now putting these principles into practice will only strengthen our advocacy and partnerships in the future.”

Background

Freedom House’s US-based staff voted to unionize in early 2023, in a process overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The staff union is affiliated with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153, part of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

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Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan democracy organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.