Make no mistake, Big Labor is fully aware union density has been on the downswing for years, so unions have been doing what they can to try and stay relevant by employing new strategies. They’ve been attempting cross-sector organizing and sectoral bargaining, and whether those approaches work out for them remains to be seen. Yet in the meantime, unions will always enjoy seeking political cover from lawmakers.
That’s precisely what is happening with “Union Now,” a new nonprofit launched in early April. This organization professes to make it cheaper and easier for workers to organize and go on strike by establishing a centralized strike fund. Employers will want to pay attention to what could come next.
What This Organization Wants To Do
Union Now has been described as the “brainchild” of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson, who introduced the organization during an April 12 rally showcasing Senator Bernie Sanders and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The event’s planners claimed to have attracted a crowd full of workers from union-targeted progressive brands like Starbucks, REI, and Whole Foods.
The Union Now mission statement stresses building relationships among unions to share funds and tactical support during major campaigns against large employers. Naturally, the organization is soliciting donations, which they claim will support striking workers, although we can predict what will happen there since Big Labor can’t keep their hands out of the cookie jar, and workers might not ever see any of that money.
Nonetheless, employers and labor relations professionals should take note of Union Now’s political backing and its co-founders.
The Names Behind The Organization
First, Sanders and Mamdani are two avowed socialist officials who have openly criticized Starbucks and joined the coffeehouse giant’s workers on the picket lines. Their involvement signals that Union Now intends to draw funding from the progressive political donor universe, which also includes a relationship with Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, a volunteer network affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America and United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
Secondly, Union Now’s co-founders include not only Nelson but also former AFL-CIO organizing director Richard Bensinger, an early face behind the Starbucks Workers United campaign, and Jon Hiatt, ex-general counsel of the AFL-CIO.
Then there’s a voice with “no formal role” in the organization: Hamilton Nolan, a journalist who publishes pro-Labor articles on Substack and progressive outlets including In These Times. His pre-launch promotional piece reads more like a fundraising pitch (“We gotta find a way to pay for it. We are growing the pie, baby”) than journalism, although he insists that he’s only “been helping informally with getting Union Now off the ground.”
Much Remains Unknown
Union Now is being deliberate with its targets. In naming Starbucks, Delta, and REI as early priority campaigns, the group is signaling that they are aiming for long-running, high-visibility campaigns where employers have already faced sustained pressure from unions.
The organization is four to six weeks into its initial fundraising round, so it’s far too soon to say how deep their pockets will run, or how quickly they will be able to divert money into mobilizing organizing campaigns and strikes. For employers in retail, food service, and aviation, the correct time to assess union vulnerability is before Union Now has its footing, not after.
