Employees at the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife plan to strike Tuesday and Wednesday over disputes with management about wage increases and access to benefits, the organization’s staff union announced.
Members of the Defenders United union voted in favor of a strike and are preparing to picket outside the group’s Washington headquarters unless they reach an agreement with management, they said.
“What we’re hoping is that this demonstrates to them — and particularly in as public a way as possible — that we’re serious about wanting this,” said Kathleen Callaghy, a member of the Defenders United contract action team.
The expected strike comes after years of tense negotiations between the conservation group’s union and its management. The two sides haven’t reached a deal on a collective bargaining agreement since staff unionized in 2021.
