(NEW YORK CITY) – Workers employed at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) in New York City are forming a Union with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1180.

Members of the Union Organizing Committee have presented management with a request for voluntary recognition after an overwhelming majority of eligible Staffers signed cards signaling their desire to be represented by the CWA.

Organizers also filed a petition for a Union Election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

However, if their request for voluntary recognition is granted, Organizers will withdraw the NLRB petition.

“The LGBTQ-plus community suffers when Workers are ignored, overworked or forced to leave,” said Gloria Middleton, who serves as President of CWA Local 1180. “A Union contract that secures good working conditions ensures that workers at The Center can best serve and support New York City’s LGBTQ-plus community.”

The Union would represent more than 60 Front Line Workers, ranging from Mental Health Counselors and Youth Services Providers to Front Desk Staff, who face safety concerns on the job.

The Center is a non-profit organization that plays a vital role in the LGBTQ+ Community, with dedicated Staff providing services to more than 6,000 people each week. 

"Unionizing to me is the best thing we can do to support the center as people who love The Center,” said Shana Salzberg, a Youth Substance Use Treatment Coordinator. “I feel so lucky that my job as a Counselor gets to be to help young people be their full selves. I want myself and my colleagues who love and are committed to this work to be able to work at The Center long term and be able sustain ourselves in the tough work we do day in and day out. For that, we need a union to ensure we are getting paid a fair wage and to support us in an unstable and scary time."

To Directly Access This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: The Center Workers Form Union with CWA for Frontline Workers Serving LGBTQ+ Community | Communications Workers of America