Behind the Bastards
It Could Happen Here Weekly 178
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Friends of the Children aims to provide long-term mentorship for at-risk youth, focusing on stability and support throughout their development.
- The unionization efforts among care workers at Friends of the Children arise from issues related to pay equity and management's lack of support.
- The strike initiated by staff reflects frustrations with management's bargaining tactics and highlights the importance of collective action among workers.
- Strong community support and engagement are crucial for maintaining morale during the strike and reinforcing the workers' demands for fair treatment.
- The outcomes of the unionization and strike process can potentially set a precedent for labor rights advocacy in the nonprofit sector.
Deep dives
Overview of Friends of the Children
Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit organization that pairs mentors with at-risk youth, committing to provide support from kindergarten through high school graduation, a relationship lasting approximately 12.5 years. Based in Portland, Oregon, the program focuses on individualized care and assists with academic and social growth for youth who often come from challenging backgrounds, including single-parent households and foster homes. The organization emphasizes stability and consistent support while working to help children overcome challenges that could otherwise hinder their success in school and life. The mentors, who are paid employees rather than volunteers, play a critical role in fostering long-term relationships with the children in the program.
Challenges in Mentorship
Mentors at Friends of the Children face significant challenges, including high turnover rates among their colleagues, which can disrupt the continuity essential for the youth they serve. Many mentors support multiple children, some of whom have experienced multiple mentor changes before being assigned to them, which can impact the trust and relationships built over the years. The emotional toll of the job is profound, as mentors navigate the complex traumas faced by the children and must find ways to manage their own emotional responses. The need for a sustainable work environment is critical to maintaining effective mentorship and preventing burnout among the staff.
Unionization Efforts
In response to ongoing issues related to management practices and work conditions, the staff at Friends of the Children began organizing for a union, ultimately filing a petition to form one in March 2023. The push for unionization stemmed from frustrations over salary disparities, benefits, and a lack of support from management that left staff feeling undervalued. The union aims to address issues of pay equity, job security, and improved working conditions, making it easier for mentors to focus on their work without the fear of financial instability. This organizing effort illustrates the growing recognition among workers in nonprofit sectors of the need for collective bargaining rights.
Barriers to Effective Bargaining
The bargaining process between Friends of the Children and its staff has faced significant delays and challenges, including management's reluctance to acknowledge the need for salary increases and improved benefits. Management's refusal to fully engage in bargaining sessions and their insistence on a take-it-or-leave-it approach created an environment of frustration and distrust among staff. Furthermore, management often claimed that budget constraints would prevent meeting the union's demands, yet refused to provide transparent financial information to verify this claim. These tactics have heightened tensions and led to a call for striking as a necessary measure to pressure management into taking negotiations seriously.
Strike Decision Process
The decision to strike came after prolonged frustrations with management's bargaining tactics and their refusal to meet the union's demands for better pay and working conditions. A strategic decision was made to begin fundraising efforts to support the potential strike and prepare for its implications, highlighting the importance of financial stability for workers during the work stoppage. The strike vote provided a crucial moment for staff solidarity, allowing employees to express their commitment to standing together against management's practices. Ultimately, while the strike brought its own challenges, it was essential for demonstrating the urgency of the union's cause and the necessity for management to take action.
Maintaining Engagement on the Picket Line
Keeping up morale during the strike is vital for sustaining the commitment of those involved; this requires establishing strong relationships built on trust and shared experiences among the picketers. Open discussions about fears, concerns, and strategies allow workers to express solidarity and support each other effectively. The nature of communication is crucial, as it helps counter attempts by management to downplay the strike and maintain strong community ties with supporters from outside the organization. Through shared experiences and personal connections, staff members can reinforce each other's determination and foster a resilient picket line.
Building Community Support
Support from the wider community plays a vital role in maintaining strike morale and ensuring the longer-term success of the union efforts. Engaging local groups and activists, as well as friends and families of workers, helps create a larger network of solidarity. By organizing events and rallies, strikers can push back against the false narratives presented by management and showcase public support for their cause. Building a sense of broader community around their struggle empowers workers and reinforces the message of needing fair treatment and recognition for their labor.
Lessons from the Strike Experience
The strike serves as a profound learning experience for participants, highlighting the importance of worker solidarity and collective action. It provides an immediate context in which employees can understand their power as a group, as well as the potential consequences of organized action. This understanding could pave the way for not only improved employment conditions within Friends of the Children but also inspire other organizations to follow suit in advocating for their workers' rights. The journey of striking fosters awareness of the broader labor movement and encourages employees to envision a more equitable workplace.
Future of Friends of the Children
As the strike progresses, the hope remains that management will recognize and respond to the demands of the workers, ultimately facilitating a contract that meets their expectations. However, the drawn-out nature of negotiations raises uncertainties about the long-term sustainability of the organization and its ability to retain effective staff. Ensuring that mentors are supported in their essential work is crucial for the organization's mission to help vulnerable youth thrive and succeed. The outcomes of this unionization effort could mark a transformative moment for Friends of the Children, potentially setting a precedent for similar organizations and increasing awareness about workers' rights in the nonprofit sector.
Donations and Community Involvement
Community support will be instrumental in the successful navigation of the strike and securing the necessary funds to sustain it. Donations to the strike fund can provide essential resources for workers as they stand firm in their efforts to achieve equity. Community members are encouraged to attend picket lines, participate in fundraising events, and amplify the message of the workers' rights to fair treatment. Engaging the broader public in solidarity efforts will help highlight the significance of the labor movement and encourage similar initiatives in other nonprofit sectors.
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.
-
When Care Workers Organize
-
Behind Myanmar's Devastating Earthquake
-
Trump's Concentration Camps in El Salvador
- How Strikes Build Democratic Workplaces
-
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #12
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Sources/Links:
When Care Workers Organize
https://www.instagram.com/friendspdxunionnetwork/
Behind Myanmar's Devastating Earthquake
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/world/asia/myanmar-earthquake-aftershocks-airstrikes.html
https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/myanmar-juntas-aerial-attacks-continue-despite-post-quake-ceasefire/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/myanmar-junta-shoots-chinese-earthquake-aid-convoy-rcna199233
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/world/asia/myanmar-earthquake-aid.html
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-against-the-junta/myanmar-junta-airstrikes-kill-over-30.html
Trump's Concentration Camps in El Salvador
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogLw7I2BWO0
https://documentedny.com/2025/04/14/ice-bukele-cecot-tren-de-aragua-el-salvador-new-york-deported/
How Strikes Build Democratic Workplaces
https://www.instagram.com/urban_ore_workers/
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #12
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/14/investing/us-stock-market/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/dispatch-border-wall
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cwy03j9vddlt?post=asset%3Aaff18753-80c9-4445-963e-03b9438ef121#post
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