Liberal group Center for American Progress faces possible strike amid salary fight: report

Staffers at the liberal nonprofit think tank Center for American Progress (CAP) are reportedly considering going on strike over contract negotiations, with some staffers saying they struggle to cover their basic needs.

HuffPost reported that CAP’s staff union voted to reject the most recent pay offer on Tuesday. Their most recent contract expired at the end of 2021, but it was extended in order to provide more bargaining time. That extension has also expired.

President of CAP Union Marissa Alayna Navarro told HuffPost that they are taking negotiations “very seriously.” With the most recent vote, staffers are now able to escalate their dispute with management, which could include going on strike.

“We definitely don’t want to have to go on strike, but we issued this vote so that management sees they forced us to look at all our options to get fair wages,” Navarro said. The CAP Union is affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU).

On Twitter, the CAP Union said the organization had left them with “no choice.”

“Our members voted to send a clear message that CAP’s offer is insufficient to meet our needs. We’re asking CAP to live its values and provide staff with liveable wages,” the union said.

The Hill has reached out to CAP for comment.

According to Navarro, some low-level employees at CAP struggle to cover their rent and pay for their basic needs in Washington, D.C., where the organization is headquartered. CAP’s salary floor is $40,000, with the union saying over half of staffers report using 40 percent of their paychecks on rent.

NPEU President Katie Barrows told HuffPost that CAP’s salary floor is lower than other comparable left-leaning research institutions.

According to Barrows, the most recent offer hinged minimum salary raises on the condition that many across-the-board salary increases be given up.

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers signaled its support of the CAP Union, saying its members would be on the picket line with them should they go on strike.