A union representing U.S.-based employees at Open Society Foundations wants to meet with board chair Alexander Soros and the rest of OSF’s board to discuss the organization’s proposal to outsource some staff roles, but said its requests have been denied.
Communications Workers of America, a union representing OSF staff in New York and Washington, D.C., published an open letter raising concerns about a plan to turn some staff roles into fixed-term contract positions, saying it could potentially undermine workers’ ability to collectively organize and advocate for labor protections. It also has “the effect of union busting.”
The union also pushed for severance pay for full-time and contract staff likely to be forced out as part of the reorganization process and for OSF leaders to provide grantees with a timeline of when the foundation plans to dissolve offices and programs worldwide.