Union of Legal Workers for Trans Liberation

@transequality.bsky.social we are waiting for your management to respond!

Throughout bargaining management has engaged in egregious violations of fair labor practices, including regressive bargaining, and has refused to meet our demands in good faith. But U4TL is not backing down in this fight. We will win a contract that trans and allied workers at A4TE need and deserve.

Throughout bargaining management has engaged in egregious violations of fair labor practices, including regressive bargaining, & has refused to meet our demands in good faith.

But U4TL is not backing down in this fight.

We will win a contract that trans & allied workers at A4TE need and deserve.

The Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) sends a clear message of U4TL's solidarity and readiness to take action if A4TE management fails to meet our demands on fair wages, job security, layoff protections, and union preservation.

The Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) sends a clear message of U4TL’s solidarity and readiness to take action if A4TE management fails to meet our demands on fair wages, job security, layoff protections, and union preservation.

96% YES to authorize a strike! U4TL members voted overwhelmingly in support of authorizing our bargaining committee to call for a strike if necessary

BREAKING:

96% YES to authorize a strike!
U4TL members voted overwhelmingly in support of authorizing our bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary.

@transequality.bsky.social, we demand a fair contract!

BREAKING: U4TL filed a grievance against management for refusing to pay our contractual salary step increases while we are bargaining

This is an unfair labor practice and a violation of our CBA. Decades of NLRB precedent makes it clear: even after a contract expires, workers retain the right to established wages and step increases.

A4TE management is resorting to coercive bargaining tactics: holding our raises hostage to pressure us into a deal. We will not be intimidated. We will not back down. We are united in our fight for a fair contract.

Breaking!

A4TE management is resorting to coercive bargaining tactics: holding our raises hostage to pressure us into a deal.

We will not be intimidated.
We will not back down.
We are united in our fight for a fair contract.

Looking forward to being at the table, @transequality.bsky.social

We want a fair • contract-and a clear future. We are demanding a contract that: • Protects union jobs during an increasingly hostile, anti-trans political climate • Guarantees transparency around restructuring • Gives workers real insight into the org chart and budget How can we agree to a contract when we have no idea what A4TE will look like in a few months? We deserve the full picture before being asked to commit.

Collective action is how we protect each other. Workers across A4TE are moving together. We are building power, planning next steps, and prepared to take further collective action. When workers move together, change follows.

U4TL is in the final stages of bargaining. Our contract has expired and we are still fighting for: • Job preservation and layoff protections • Fair wages and pay equity • Transparency about the future of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE)

We cannot bargain fairly without knowing what A4TE plans for the future of our employment and working conditions. A4TE management has delayed sharing the new organizational chart and budget-information that would massively impact our jobs and our contract.

Job preservation isn't "nice to have"-it is essential. Right now, A4TE management hasn't shared the restructured organization chart-even though it directly affects who stays, who goes, and what our jobs look like. When critical information is withheld, it feels intentional-and it puts workers at risk.

We're working without a contract-and it's showing. Departments are seeing drastic changes to their workload, roles, and expectations-without safeguards in place. That is why we are escalating. This Friday (1/23), all-shop members will attend open bargaining to show management that we are in solidarity with our

UPDATE ON BARGAINING: U4TL is in the final stages of bargaining.
Our contract has expired and we are still fighting for the following…

We’re negotiating in a climate where our families, our autonomy, and our basic safety are under threat. And management still won’t show up or put real money on the table so we can afford our rent and bills.

Enough. Show up, bargain, and respect the people who keep this place running.

Dr.Evil and his quotation marks sign language and the word “negotiations”

Hey y’all, guess who’s STILL stalling on economics—and who just canceled the final bargaining session of the year? Yep. @transequality.bsky.social’s Management. They clearly don’t care that the BU will lose protections heading into the new year.

Among the proposals mgmt has made so far: 1) pay *decreases* for several Union members 2) restrictions to make it more difficult to access funds in our gender affirming care pool and 3) rollbacks to existing just cause and progressive discipline protections to make it easier to fire Union staff

Clown emoji!

We're back! The ULW4TL is back at the bargaining table and boy are we mad! We have been back to the bargaining table for 5 months and have yet to receive comprehensive economic offers. Since our initial contract in 2023, the rate of inflation has skyrocketed and Trump's tariffs have significantly reduced buying power. Since then, our salaries have only received 2.5% COLAs per year. Not only has inflation skyrocketed, the cost of rent has increased between 5-6% yearly in NYC and D.C., where the majority of our unit lives. A4TE has cited budgetary concerns, and while we sympathize with these difficulties, we find them to be self-inflicted. A4TE chose to hire a plethora of C-Suite staff with high salaries and chose to increase its CEO's salary by nearly 100k from 2023-2024 according to the latest IRS filings. Poor budgetary planning, especially when management knows contract negotiations were around the corner is not the Unit's fault. Contract negotiations were foreseeable by management, but the respective unions at TLDEF and NCTE were blindsided by the costly merger that has seemingly left management only with enough money to give themselves thousands in raises while barely offering the status quo to its least paid and underappreciated staff.

Management expects to exhaust us with a drawn out, "woe is me" approach. Unfortunately, this strategy only energizes the most tired of us all. Management will now have to deal with a forceful and unrelenting public resistance to this strategy until our needs are met. A Union's first contract is the floor and we have no where to go but up. This organization will crumble without its administrators, its organizers, its policy team, its communications staff, its development team, or its legal team. A machine without its cogs, breaks. There is no time but the present, @transequalitynow Let's Negotiate.

We are back at the bargaining table! And it's been FIVE months.

There is no time but the present, @transequality.bsky.social

Let's Negotiate!

I'm one of the four fired employees. I was a writer & producer at Bon Appétit for nearly five years, during which I helped organize our union and sat on our bargaining committee.

I am, to my knowledge, the only trans woman in our union and the only trans woman on editorial who doesn't work at Them

We are proud to be part of a union of thousands of legal advocates and attorneys who understand that a threat to one is a threat to all.

You can find ALAA’s statement here: www.instagram.com/p/DHFFoKIsJV...

#FreeMahmoudkhalil

As the federal government is restricting trans people’s ability to travel & immigrate, targeting trans people in custody, & increasing its surveillance & criminalization, it’s important to recognize that fights for trans liberation, immigrants’ rights, & Palestinian freedom are inextricably linked.

Consistent with our past statements, our union remains steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian freedom. we continue to be disappointed by our organization’s silence, which has negatively impacted partnerships in our work.

Official statement:

ULW4TL condemns the illegal targeting, kidnapping, and detention of mahmoud khalil and joins @alaa2325 in demanding his immediate release and cessation of all deportation proceedings.

WE WROTE EN MASSE AND GAVE YOU A WEEK TO ACT, NOW WE PROTEST: NO BAN ON GENDER AFFIRMING CARE FOR TRANS YOUTH PROTEST ON THURSDAY FEB 13! 12-2P OUTSIDE OF THE DC ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE 400 6th STREET N.W. BRING SIGNS & FRIENDS! *DELAYED BECAUSE OF HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS; PLEASE TAKE NOTE** QUEER LIBE RANS TIO Committee of "Alled Organizations: Emall CIR Interns and BAWGGMDCDSA.ORG to Residents SEIUHealthcare. coordinate co-sponsoring * PRIDE AT METRO Oc DSA WORK

Our turn DC

Yeah, we heard and felt heartbroken about it. We wanted to mention that in our statement, but it didn't seem like public news yet, and we didn't want to wait to release this statement.

We heard it’s a pretty high number of layoffs.

If you truly believe in protecting trans lives, open your wallets. Donate to A4TE & other trans-led organizations. This movement is under attack—but together, we can ensure it remains strong. #UnionStrong #TransRightsAreLaborRights (10/10)

Donate here: bit.ly/transled

Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Alicia Keys shout out trans rights & equality at the Grammys - LGBTQ Nation "Trans people deserve love."

To our cis allies & comrades: We need more than words. Donate, volunteer, and engage with trans-led orgs. Celebrities spoke up at the Grammys, and we’re grateful—but words alone won’t sustain this movement. (9/10)

www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/02/lady...

If you are a movement worker facing a layoff, please contact us at ulw4tl@gmail.com. We will do our best to share leads & connect impacted workers with new opportunities. We can’t promise help for everyone, but we will try. (8/10)

Our union contract at A4TE has expanded access to gender-affirming care, fertility services, & reproductive care. By unionizing, we make it clear: trans rights & reproductive rights are labor rights. This is our power. (7/10)

We must send a clear message: unionization is our shield. It ensures workers have a voice in decisions affecting their lives & livelihoods. Movement workers across organizations must unionize & fight for fair, just workplaces. (6/10)

By contrast, we appreciate that A4TE, a trans-centered org, has worked to reduce costs without layoffs. These conversations matter. Leadership’s commitment to workers is crucial in the fight against this anti-trans regime. (5/10)

These layoffs were not the only option. They were not the most responsible option. Leadership decisions should center worker protections, not executive comfort. (4/10)

The justification for these layoffs at HRC demands scrutiny. Their payroll is $21.5M for 300 staff, yet 18 executives take home $5.19M—nearly 25% of all salaries. Even modest pay cuts at the top could have saved many jobs. (3/10)

This is a stark reminder of the uncertainty & cruelty we face under this administration. Funding & sustainability are crucial to keeping our communities safe. Organizations must prioritize protecting workers—not padding executive salaries. (2/10)

ULW4TL Public Statement 2.6.2025 Union of Legal Workers for Trans LiberationPublic StatementFebruary 6th, 2025 We are deeply troubled by the news of the Human Rights Campaign planning to lay off approximately 20% of their staff. T...

Public Statement 🧵 (1/10)

(see full statement here- docs.google.com/document/d/1...)

We are deeply troubled by the news of HRC planning to lay off ~20% of its staff. These are not just numbers. These are people who have dedicated their lives to LGBTQIA+ rights.