Across Industries and Sectors, Professionals Joined Together in Union in 2022

Written By Katie Barrows
 
 

What do the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Rick and Morty, and the FAA have in common? Employees at each of these organizations formed unions in 2022.

Last year, many working people committed themselves to improving their inadequate wages, benefits, and working conditions by joining together in union. In fact, the National Labor Relations Board reported that union election petitions increased by 57 percent in the first half of the 2022 fiscal year, a figure that only covers the private sector outside of the railway and airline industries. Additionally, at over 100 different workplaces, professionals joined DPE affiliated unions.

Here’s a recap of professionals who formed unions with DPE affiliates in 2022:

Architectural Professionals

  • Bernheimer Architecture (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM))

Aviation Professionals

  • Air Methods Corporation (flight instructors) (Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU))

  • North Memorial Health Care (pilots) (OPEIU)

  • Bangor Airport (grounds crew) (American Federation of Teachers (AFT))

Broadway Professionals

  • Broadway League (associates and residents) (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC))

County, City, and Local Government Employees

  • DC Government’s Learning Management System (American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE))

  • Crawford County, PA Public Defender’s Office (United Steelworkers (USW))

Dancers

  • St. Louis Ballet (American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA))

Dinner Theater Professionals

  • Medieval Times, New Jersey (American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA))

  • Medieval Times, California (AGVA)

Federal Government Employees

  • United States Department of Agriculture (IT workers) (AFGE)

  • Defense Health Agency, headquarters (AFGE)

  • Fort Drum CECO (AFGE)

  • FAA’s Air Traffic Services (program assistants) (Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS))

  • FAA’s Air Traffic Services (program analysts) (PASS)

  • FAA’s Air Traffic Services (educational specialists) (PASS)

  • FAA’s Air Traffic Services (training and leave specialists) (PASS)

  • FAA’s Air Traffic Services (cartographers) (PASS)

  • ​​Department of Veteran Affairs, Overton Brooks Outpatient Clinic (nurses, pharmacists, social workers) (IAM)

  • Department of the Army, Directorate of Training and Doctrine (instructional system specialists) (IAM)

Film/TV/Commercial Professionals

  • Tooning Out the News (animators) (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE))

  • Titmouse New York Studio (IATSE)

  • Titmouse California Studio (IATSE)

  • The Simpsons, American Dad, and Family Guy (animators) (IATSE)

  • Bento Box Entertainment (IATSE)

  • ShadowForce/ShadowMachine (IATSE)

  • Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites (IATSE)

  • America’s Test Kitchen — Next Generation, Season 1 (IATSE)

  • Paul McCartney Live (IATSE)

  • Footjoy Commercial (IATSE)

  • Biktarvy Commercial (IATSE)

  • History’s Great Escapes, Season 2 (IATSE)

  • I Survived Bear Grylls, Season 1 (IATSE)

  • Universal Studios Publicists (IATSE)

  • Finding Happy, Season 1 (IATSE)

  • Johnson, Season 2 (IATSE)

  • Junction (IATSE)

  • Lost Man Found (IATSE)

  • Now And Then (Miami) (IATSE)

  • Steppin Into the Holidays (Mr. Holiday) (IATSE)

  • Pointe Noire (IATSE)

  • Rat In The Kitchen, Season 1 (IATSE)

  • 12 Days of Christmas Eve (IATSE)

  • META Commercial (IATSE)

Firefighters and EMS Professionals

  • Alexandria Fire Department, Virginia (International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF))

  • Oxford Fire Department, Ohio (IAFF)

  • Batesville Fire and EMS, Indiana (IAFF)

  • Auburn City Ambulance, New York (IAFF)

  • Long Lake Township Fire Department, Michigan (IAFF)

  • Lunenburg, MA (IAFF)

  • North Randall, OH (IAFF)

  • Perry Fire Rescue, Michigan (IAFF)

Government Contractors

  • Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC (USW)

  • Consolidated Networks Corporation (system and database administrators) (IAM)

Healthcare Professionals

  • McLaren Greater Lansing (medical technologists) (OPEIU)

  • McLaren Greater Lansing, Morrison (dietary aides) (OPEIU)

  • McLaren Greater Lansing (case managers) (OPEIU)

  • Valley Medical Center (OPEIU)

  • Queen’s Health Systems (clinical reviewers) (OPEIU)

  • UVMC (clinical documentation integrity RNs) (AFT)

  • UVMC (medical aestheticians) (AFT)

  • Bend St. Charles (home health and hospice nurses) (AFT)

  • United Methodist, Bristol Glen (community RNs) (AFT)

  • United Methodist, Pittman Manor (community RNs) (AFT)

  • Jefferson County (disability workers) (AFT)

  • Providence St. Vincent (case managers) (AFT)

  • St. Anthony (medical techs) (AFT)

  • Equitas (health professional support workers) (AFT)

  • Community Health Clinic of Burlington (AFT)

  • Barrett Medical Center (Montana nurses) (AFT)

  • University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center (IAM)

  • Kaiser Permanente, Riverside, CA (USW)

  • Envision Hospice (social workers, chaplains) (IAM)

  • Quarterline Consulting Services (IAM)

  • Northwest Regional Primary Care Association (IAM)

Higher Education Professionals

  • Pasadena Art Center College of Design (non-tenure and part-time faculty) (AFT)

  • University of the Arts (professional and non-professional staff) (AFT)

  • Dominican University (faculty) (AFT)

  • Wesleyan University (student employees) (OPEIU)

  • Barnard College (student employees) (OPEIU)

  • Tufts University (student employees) (OPEIU)

K-12 Education Professionals

  • Chicago High School for the Arts (FT teachers) (AFT)

  • Chicago High School for the Arts (PT teachers) (AFT)

  • Amber Charter School Inwood (AFT)

  • Urban Pathways Charter School (AFT)

  • Menlo Park Charter School (AFT)

  • Ortonville (ESP/PSRPs) (AFT)

  • Summit Academy Secondary Lorain (AFT)

Labor Professionals

  • Lincoln Consolidated Transportation Union (AFT)

Library Professionals

  • Grandview Heights Public Library (AFT)

  • Claremont Colleges Library (AFT)

Marketing, Communications, and Advertising Professionals

  • D&GG Marketing Communications and Advertising, Pennsylvania (USW)

Museum Professionals

  • Lighthouse Immersive and Impact Museums, Pittsburgh (USW)

Musicians

  • Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (American Federation of Musicians (AFM))

Nonprofit Professionals

  • Impact Justice (OPEIU)

  • Guttmacher Institute (OPEIU)

  • International Foundation for Electoral Systems (OPEIU)

  • Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (OPEIU)

  • Community Solutions (OPEIU)

  • Disability Rights Ohio (OPEIU)

  • Glide Foundation (OPEIU)

  • The Public Interest Network (OPEIU)

  • Compass Family Services (OPEIU)

  • Healthcare Anchor Network (International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE))

  • New America (IFPTE)

  • National Center for Transgender Equality (IFPTE)

  • Leadership for Educational Equity (IAM)

  • Richard Hugo House (IAM)

Opera Professionals

  • Des Moines Metro Opera (stage managers) (AGMA)

Podcast Professionals

  • iHeart Podcast Network (Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE))

  • Pineapple Street Studios (WGAE)

  • Vox Media Podcast Network (WGAE)

Political Campaign Professionals

  • Beto for Texas (OPEIU)

Retail Professionals

  • REI, Soho, NY (Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU))

  • Apple Store, Townson, MD (IAM)

Stage/Live Events Professionals

  • Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. (IATSE)

  • Bubblegum (film crew) (IATSE)

  • Lost Man Found (crew) (IATSE)

  • Climate Pledge Arena (stagehands) (IATSE)

  • Guthrie Theater (scenic artists) (IATSE)

  • Great Escapes (IATSE)

  • Five Flags Center (Dubuque, IA) (IATSE)

  • Minnesota United Soccer Club (video board crew) (IATSE)

  • STRAT Hotel (IATSE)

  • Northern Stage, White River Junction, VT (IATSE)

  • Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia (IATSE)

  • Los Angeles Opera (costumers) (IATSE)

  • On Your Feet! The Musical (IATSE)

  • Little Island, New York City (IATSE)

  • Oregon Shakespeare Festival (scenic paint, and prop shop artists) (IATSE)

  • Steelman Production Services (IATSE)

Tech Professionals

  • Nava Public Benefit Corporation (OPEIU)

  • HCL Software Products Limited, Cleveland, OH (USW)

Television and Radio Broadcast Professionals

  • WCCO-TV (Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA))

  • Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation (content creators) (SAG-AFTRA)

  • NewsHour (content creators) (SAG-AFTRA)

  • WFAE (radio workers) (SAG-AFTRA)

  • PGA Tour Entertainment (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW))

  • Real Change News (IBEW)

Telecommunications Professionals

  • Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative (IBEW)

  • Windstream (IBEW)

Utility Professionals

  • Aqua, Illinois (Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA))

    Delta Gas, Kentucky (UWUA)

    Elizabethtown Gas Call Center, New Jersey (UWUA)

    Liberty Utilities, Georgia (UWUA)

    Peoples Gas, Kentucky (UWUA)

    Zeeland Clean Water Plant, Michigan (UWUA)

Veterinary Professionals

  • Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services (IAM)

Katie Barrows
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