Our Approach to Labor Organizing

We are currently assessing labor laws as well as where energy for labor unionization is strongest in the City of Missoula and the State of Montana. We are looking to build systemically-minded unions that understand the fight for labor rights extends far beyond the individual workplace.

Workplace struggles are connected to housing, healthcare, climate, and democracy. A union that wins a contract but ignores the rising cost of rent or the pollution in our air is not a union that will survive the long fight. Our approach integrates labor organizing with all our other campaigns.

How We Operate

  • Step 1

    Assessment & Mapping

    We analyze Montana labor laws, identify sectors with high union energy (e.g., service, healthcare, retail, logistics), and map existing organizing efforts.

  • Step 2

    Worker-to-Worker Organizing

    We don’t parachute in – we build relationships with workers already active in their workplaces and help them connect with each other across industries.

  • Step 3

    Systemic Unionism

    We train organizers to see the whole picture: how a fight for paid sick leave is also a fight for public health, how wage theft connects to housing insecurity, and how solidarity across sectors builds real power.

  • Step 4

    Cross-Campaign Integration

    Our labor work doesn’t exist in a silo. Tenant union members join labor actions, labor organizers support environmental campaigns, and everyone fights for political leadership that represents workers.

    • Current Focus Areas

    • 🔍 Assessing Local Labor Law – We are reviewing Montana’s collective bargaining statutes, right-to-work implications, and enforcement mechanisms to identify strategic opportunities.
    • 🗺️ Mapping Union Energy – Where are workers already organizing? Where are the hotspots (e.g., call centers, warehouses, healthcare)? We’re building a directory of active and potential union drives.
    • 🤝 Building Solidarity Networks – Connecting workers across different employers to share tactics, resources, and mutual aid.
    • 📢 Education & Training – Hosting workshops on labor history, collective bargaining, and systemic organizing (not just “how to file a grievance”).

    Get Involved

    Are you a worker interested in organizing your workplace? Do you have experience in labor law or union organizing? Want to help us map Missoula’s labor landscape?

    Contact Our Labor Team Know Your Labor Rights

    We also encourage you to visit our Labor Rights & Resources page for information on wage laws, safety regulations, and legal aid. That page is focused on your rights – this page is about how we organize together to change the system.