Labor & United Way Partnership

Whether it’s stepping up to tackle the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, helping veterans find jobs in Los Angeles, California, or mentoring young people in Atlanta, Georgia, union members are adding momentum to United Way’s community impact work throughout the country.

We first came together right after World War II, as an innovative way to rebuild our nation. We looked different back then, but our shared passion for building a better world was evident from the start. United Way (then Community Chests and Councils) and labor’s umbrella organizations (the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations) worked together to create a mechanism for payroll deduction. That resulted in labor representation on United Way boards, and evolved into collaborative fundraising and community development. Since then, unions have been strong partners in Workplace Campaigns, encouraging union members to give and volunteer.

In 2016, United Way Worldwide and the AFL-CIO reshaped their relationship through a new national agreement with a focus on strategic community impact.

Interested in learning more? Contact Lisa Baynes, Account Executive of Corporate Engagement at 202-488-2106.