Former staffers at the New Organizing Institute (NOI), a progressive grassroots organization, have filed complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that they faced retaliation after pushing for a leadership change.
NOI staffers sought to replace its executive director, Ethan Roeder, the digital director of the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaigns.
Roeder put his skills to work at NOI, which uses “cutting-edge digital strategy” and “data-driven decision making” to help progressive organizers “build and manage effective movements.”
According to Buzzfeed, trouble at NOI began earlier this month when eight senior NOI staffers gave the organization’s board of directors an ultimatum to replace Roeder. Several others were fired shortly after the attempted coup failed.
The terminated employees allege that it was this push for leadership change that led to their illegal ouster.
The staffers’ complaints are listed at the NLRB’s website but are not available to view in their entirety. The posts show that NOI staffers signed charging documents against the outfit on Friday. Letters were issued to the institute this week.
As Buzzfeed reports, some of the terminated staffers are seeking back pay. Some want their jobs back. And all of them want to hold NOI true to its progressive values.
“I’m not solely worried about NOI. I’ve seen workers struggle at progressive organizations,” a former NOI employee told Buzzfeed. “We fight everyday to do this work to get a fair shake for working people and that has to be reflected in our workplace.”