The Sierra Club’s staff union has filed a complaint against the environmental organization, contending that its most recent staff layoffs illegally targeted union members.
In its complaint to the National Labor Relations Board, the Progressive Workers Union that represents Sierra Club employees alleged that the green group violated labor law by retaliating against union leaders and moving to terminate their employment “under the pretext of layoffs.”
The complaint to the labor board comes after the Sierra Club announced its latest round of layoffs in June, coming soon after previous layoffs in May and additional staff downsizing in recent years as management cited budget shortfalls. It also follows years of internal tensions between staff and the group’s leader, Ben Jealous.
“Seven of the 21 PWU members targeted are union leaders, including elected union officials, former elected union officials, and union stewards,” Dylan Plummer, an elected unit representative with the union, said in a statement.
