Workers used to raising cash for progressive causes were raising their own red flags this afternoon, picketing the office of the Fund of Public Interest Research on SE 11th and Clay. The Fund is the umbrella organization for numerous local progressive groups, like Environment Oregon and the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group.
In October, the telephone outreach workers in the Fund’s Portland office voted to form a union with the Communication Workers of America, says employee David Nell. Their demands? A “just cause” firing policy and grievance procedure. “We’re not asking for pay raises, just job security,” says Nell, who has canvassed for nine months. The policies of the Fund are “bloodthirsty” says Nell—no matter how long someone has worked for the group, if they miss their fundraising quota two weeks in a row, they’re terminated.
Since the campaign began, two of the four canvassers on the union organizing team have been fired. Canvasser Mike Schultz worked for the fund from 2001-2005 and then restarted as a phone canvasser six months ago, before being fired last month. He and other union organizers believe that administrators gave uppity workers the more difficult, lower-grossing lists of potential donors to call, leading to them missing their quotas. The union requested phone bank history, but has so far not received it. “We want a progressive organization to live up to its name,” says Schultz. “We’d like to see Environment Oregon and OSPIRG put pressure on the fund to negotiate in good faith.” Schultz and the other fired organizer, Chris Humbird, have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.
Via email, national Fund Recruitment Director Kristin Saybe says nothing has changed about the phone lists since the union organizing began. “I can assure you that no employee has or will be disciplined, terminated, or otherwise discriminated against for anything concerning Union activity,” writes Saybe.
Canvassers with the Fund have tried several times to organize, with limited success. The most high-profile campaign, in LA, was completely shut down. A push to organize canvassers in Portland’s branch of Working America, which is not part of the Fund, never got off the ground in 2009.
For full disclosure, I should note that, like hundreds of Portlanders, I worked briefly for the Fund. In the summer of 2004, I knocked doors for OSPIRG. Somehow, I was not fired.
as much as I generally agree with the causes championed by PIRG, I equally hate their fundraising tactics.
OSPIRG is a conspiracy designed to disenchant and demoralize progressives.
Hello, I’ve just got a few corrections to give. I talked to you for a bit down there Sarah Mirk. You mentioned you remembered Mr. King. First, it’s spelled Kris Humbird. Michael Schultz and Kris Humbird were not only on the union organizing team, we were on the negotiation team. Two of the four negotiators fired in two weeks. Also, the Fund acts more as a seemingly incestuous contractor for many of the PIRG’s and the Environment groups rather than as an umbrella. Thanks for covering this struggle.
It’s about time that the Fund gets what’s coming to them
I’ve always been unclear about what any of the PIRGs actually do. I often see them claiming to do a great deal, but a lot of what they take credit for was not their work, or it was toothless shit like the Clean Air Act of 1988. I’ve always assumed it’s a beer money scam.
And yes: former dialer/canvasser right here.
OSPIRG and Environment Oregon do some decent work. However, their is some pretty shady stuff going on with how they treat their workers as expendable assets and the bottom line being the only thing that matters to them. They are kind of like the McDonalds or Walmart of non-profits. Streamlined corporate practices. They chew up “would be” progressive youth at an alarming pace. You have to wonder if the ends justify the means…..
“…no matter how long someone has worked for the group, if they miss their fundraising quota two weeks in a row, they’re terminated.”
Canvassing for OSPIRG was the first job i got when i first moved to Portland. I really didn’t know what i was getting myself into back then. I see this part of their policy has not changed still.
And they still get massive amounts of money they don’t have to account for from Oregon’s public universities.
Is this one of those charities that calls all fund raising — education and research so they do not ruin their charity rating ?
I worked for this group for 2.5 days doing some bullshit “progressive” canvassing in the winter of 2008. The only thing I got out of it was a hook up with a hippy girl. They had a problem “processing my paycheck”, so I never got paid. I gave up perusing the money.
It was highly suspicious when I filled out my new-hire paperwork and there was a question about “uncollected funds” being donated to the cause. Mirk, you should dig deeper and you’ll probably blow open an ACORN sized waste of money that no one gives a shit about.
I worked with the fund as a street canvasser this year from June until November, when I missed my quota for the 3rd time in a year. Not back to back mind you, each time only missing it by a minimal amount.
I was a top fund raiser for the group, and was also a field manager training others on how to do the job. As a whole I averaged way more than quota, but they have a cut throat system. It’s not just the fund however that practices this cut throat mentality, it is almost all canvassing groups.
I share the frustration of the many of the canvassers that have been in my shoes, and I hope the system changes. The actual funds are needed to do good work, but the outreach and fundraising quotas need to be revised. I hope that the union works, and continues. Go REAL grassroots!!!
What a useful way for a progressive to spend their time, picketing a progressive organization. Just stop donating/canvassing if you think that OSPIRGS method is too deeply flawed. Stop shooting yourself in the foot. This is a moronic waste of time and a drag on the reputation of public employees unions. There ought to be a certain amount of dedication to public causes that trumps the desire for a better 401k. Go get a job soliciting for a bank and then picket them when you feel you phone skills aren’t being adequately compensated. This nonsense gives liberals a bad name.
anyone who self-identifies as “progressive” is a fucking dipshit
HappySunshine, if it was one person we were talking about your simplistic tactic of not donating would work. However if no one is aware of this issue they will still donate. The picket and articles like this one raise awareness of the problems with the FUND, and put pressure on the management to change policies. Also this is exactly what PEU’s need to work on, bolstering the strength and number of unions and union members. I think you need to put down the hatorade you have been chugging.
Hatorade? I’ll put that down as soon as you stop sipping that entitlement tea you are nursing. C’mon, you can’t seriously believe that it benefits PEU’s to focus their efforts on exposing the hiring and firing practices of non-profit organizations like OSPIRG. This is a wholly self serving protest and implying that you have the best interests of the public in mind is self-deceptive, at best.
This is not true. FFPIRG (whatever they now call themselves) is the largest nonprofit employer in the country. Our current president once canvassed for them. They have taken charge of producing the next generation of social change leaders. If they cannot treat their employees with the dignity and respect canvassers deserve, the problem will not start and stop with Portland TOP. This is an issue that affects canvassers nationwide, and the future of the progressive movement. These workers are doing the necessary thing, and taking a stand where others in the past have just quit and moved on, allowing the cycle of abuse to continue. We did the same thing when PIRG closed our office in LA after we unionized in 2005-2006, and I am glad to know others are carrying on this complex and lonely fight, despite ignorant criticisms of others.
I worked for the Fund, I got fired because one of my co-workers flat out lied to our boss, With regards to a non-work related conversation. While I think the Pirgs are trying to do good things I think the way they treat their fundraising employees is appalling. They contribute to human misery in the name of lessening human misery. It’s hypocritical at best.