Hack The Union Newsletter - Insights on Nonprofit Recruitment and Advocacy

Moving from Leadership to Emerita-level Mentorship

Kati

New Working Majority began as a one-person consulting firm, with its initial contract being with Make the Road Pennsylvania/Make the Road Action (MRPA/MRAPA). Kati provided weekly training and coaching to a small staff, most of whom were from the organization's membership. After a year, the director left unexpectedly, and Maegan Llerena, the new Deputy Director, retained Kati to continue the training. Over the next six years, Kati coached Maegan, who eventually became the Executive Director.

Keeping Joy Alive as an Emerita

Kati

In a heartfelt reflection on 34 years in movement organizing, Kati recounts their journey from a novice canvasser to a seasoned advocate for social change. From winning legislative victories to helping workers form unions, they emphasize the joy that has fueled their advocacy, incorporating elements of theater and creativity into their activism—often in stiletto heels and vibrant costumes.

We Must Leave What We Know To Win Part 2

Matthew B

In part 1, I talked about how we need to challenge ourselves to leave behind what we know to learn what we need to win. In part 2, I’ll talk about how to prepare ourselves to embark on our path forward.

We Must Leave What We Know To Win Part 1

Matthew B

In this week's blog Matthew talks about the pressing challenge society faces in an uncertain and complex future, where traditional frameworks of the political 'left' and 'right' have become obsolete. Matthew reflects on the failures of various political factions, acknowledging that the current reality necessitates a reevaluation of established strategies in messaging and organizing to forge new paths forward.

What Laws Govern Unions, Anyway?

Alina SA

In this week's blog Alina talks about how at New Working Majority, we've been expanding our union client base, prompting "Unions 101" sessions to familiarize ourselves with labor history and regulations, especially since three of us are new to unions. Drawing from her Labor Studies background, she was surprised by the lack of accessible information on union basics and relevant laws, leading me to create an overview for our team. She covered the differences between craft and industrial unions and explained collective bargaining units (CBUs). Future blog posts will delve into labor movement victories and the impact of laws like the Taft-Hartley Act on union power.

Beyond the App: How the TikTok Ban Unleashed a Wave of Digital Resistance and Solidarity

Dani P

In this week's blog Dani talks about the January 19th deadline for banning TikTok loomed, users mourned the impending loss of the app, sharing confessions and tributes that showed their deep love and attachment to it. And despite TikTok's return, many users feel that the experience has changed them, and they're now questioning the control and potential loss of their favorite social media platforms.

There’s No Organizing Without Organization

Kati S

At the end of the last year, Kati encountered clients seeking assistance in creating their work plans for 2025, often citing a need for their own plans before forming departmental or organizational plans. Kati argues that this approach is misguided and emphasizes the importance of taking proactive control over one's work plans.

Views From Swing-State Country

Matthew B

In a blog post reflecting on the 2024 elections in Wisconsin, Matthew highlights how extensive groundwork and community relationships influenced Democratic performance in Wisconsin, which countered a national trend toward Trump with a modest 1.5% swing from 2020 and included significant victories like Senator Tammy Baldwin's re-election.

Music & The Movement

Dani P

In this blog Dani talks about how music is important and how it makes it easier to do our work.

Social Media & Unions & Union Members

Matthew B

In this weeks blog Matthew talks about how trust in traditional news sources wanes and social media becomes a primary information channel, unions have a unique opportunity to counter misinformation by promoting pro-labor messaging through a well-organized network of diverse members. By training members in social media strategies, unions can amplify their voices against disinformation campaigns, especially from organized far-right groups.

Being a Standout Candidate

Alina SA

In this week’s blog, Alina goes over how candidates stand out to her. She goes over recent screenings she has had and the impact they have made on her.

Finding the Joy

Dani P

Often times we are on the move so much that we forget to take a break and remember the reasons we do the work we do. In this blog post Dani talks about remembering to find the joy in the work.

Fighting Against Reactionary Takeover: Lesson from Wisconsin

Matthew B

In his first blog, Matthew talks about the lessons we can learn from Wisconsin and how to fight against reactionary takeovers.

Changing Your Mind in the Hiring Process

Alina SA

As you may have seen, after recruiting for dozens of positions at other organizations, we at New Working Majority posted our own listing for a Recruitment Director a few months ago.

Annual Salary Survey Coming Soon

Kati S

Last year, New Working Majority launched our first-ever salary survey, asking people who work in movement organizations about their starting salaries, current rates of pay, and the benefits they received at work.

Money & Movement Seniority

Kati S

If you read New Working Majority’s salary survey report in 2023, you know that one of the major findings of the report is that the people who are least happy with their movement salaries right now are the folks who have been in the movement the longest–in our taxonomy, the Journey People and Adepts..

Breaking into the Movement

Dani P

Being a movement novice is hard. You are in constant battle with imposter syndrome and wanting to learn more, but now that you are working in the movement (finally) you have those around you to mentor and guide you.

Media Recommendations for February

Alina SA

At New Working Majority, we’re constantly watching, listening to, and reading movement and politics-related media. I put together a list of my February media recommendations: one movie, one book, and one podcast episode. Below you’ll find a bit about each piece of media, a link to find them, and a little about why I recommend them.

The Life Cycle of an Organizer

Kati S

At New Working Majority, we primarily work with base-building organizations like local unions and community organizing groups. We love organizers and organizing, and we are committed to helping organizers grow into their power in order to develop more leaders in our movements.

7 Tips for Hiring in 2024

New Working Majority

2024 is going to be a busy year and so is your hiring! So we created a quick list of tips to make your hiring process smoother and starting a little bit easier. At New Working Majority our staff has over 30 years' experience in hiring, and has overseen hundreds of hires.

HACK THE MOVEMENT NEWSLETTER

Moving from Leadership to Emerita-level Mentorship

Keeping Joy Alive as an Emerita

We Must Leave What We Know To Win Part 2

We Must Leave What We Know To Win Part 1

What Laws Govern Unions, Anyway?

Beyond the App: How the TikTok Ban Unleashed a Wave of Digital Resistance and Solidarity

There’s No Organizing Without Organization

Views From Swing-State Country

Music & The Movement

Social Media & Unions & Union Members

Being a Standout Candidate

Finding the Joy

Fighting Against Reactionary Takeover: Lesson from Wisconsin

Changing Your Mind in the Hiring Process

Annual Salary Survey Coming Soon

Money & Movement Seniority

Breaking into the Movement

Media Recommendations for February

The Life Cycle of an Organizer

7 Tips for Hiring in 2024

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