For the first time in American history, workers across the country will have a centralized national fund to support them when they organize and strike. Union Now, a new nonprofit launched by Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson, held its official kickoff rally in Manhattan on April 12 to enthusiastic crowds — and began fundraising to make a long-held dream of the American labor movement a reality. The concept is straightforward and powerful: put money directly into the hands of workers so they can fight harder and win bigger. It will support workers who can’t spend time organizing because they’re working two jobs, and back those illegally fired for union activity while they contest the dismissal or find new work. The rally drew representatives from the American Federation of Teachers, the Writers Guild of America East, and unions across industries.
The numbers behind the launch tell a compelling story. While 70 percent of Americans approve of unions — a figure that has held steady across bipartisan polling for years — only 10 percent of workers belong to one. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 60 million workers say they would join a union if they could. Union Now aims to close that gap by removing the financial barriers that stop workers from organizing in the first place. Early fundraising targets include ongoing campaigns at Amazon, Delta, and Starbucks, with the goal of demonstrating big wins that lift up all other campaigns nationwide. “We’re trying to keep Union Now really simple, so it can be a value-add for organizing and striking,” Nelson said. For working Americans, that simplicity might just be everything.
Source: https://prospect.org/2026/04/20/union-now-americas-new-strike-fund/
