April 16, 2020, Washington, DC—J Street is pleased to recognize the J Street Workers Union and the designation of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) as its representative.
This voluntary recognition stems from J Street’s deep commitment to working collaboratively with the entire staff of the organization to make this a “Best Place to Work.” In twelve short years, J Street has gone from a small start-up to a flagship in progressive politics, and this step allows the organization to continue to lead the way in ensuring that those who work for J Street have the pay and workplace conditions they deserve.
“J Street is committed to ensuring that the values that we pursue every day in our work – justice, equity, transparency, cooperation and respect – are reflected in our workplace,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “We recognize the vital role that unions play in the pursuit of economic justice and the importance of organizing as a vehicle for political change.”
J Street also appreciates the union’s understanding that all organizations and employees face similar unforeseen challenges and uncertainties at this moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. J Street’s management team have striven throughout the crisis to be open and transparent about the financial and organizational challenges and to prioritize the well-being of the staff amid great personal and professional disruption.
“J Street has established a spirit of ‘continuous improvement,’ addressing challenges and problems over the years with guidance from staff at all levels of the organization,” said Ben-Ami. “We believe in and value the sense of community we have created. We will bring all of that to bear as we meet this challenging moment. In that spirit, we welcome the union’s suggestion that, in light of the present crisis, negotiating for a first collective bargaining agreement begin in earnest on July 1st.”
“We look forward to a successful partnership with the union and to our continued work together for political change in the United States and peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the whole Middle East,” Ben-Ami said.