Youth's Lives Every Day
April 14, 2023 — The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, announced its voluntary recognition of Communications Workers of America (CWA) as the representative for employees in the union.
“The Trevor Project’s staff are the heartbeat of this organization, and without their contributions we could not continue to operate our life-saving programs and services for LGBTQ young people,” said Peggy Rajski (she/her), Founder and Interim CEO of The Trevor Project. “We are proud to voluntarily recognize the union, and look forward to working together to support our diverse staff while continuing to strengthen the foundation of our organization. With a staff as passionate and dedicated to The Trevor Project’s mission as ours, working together on a contract will help ensure that our organization can continue to support LGBTQ young people for generations to come.”
The Trevor Project received a recognition request in early March from CWA, which represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields. The Trevor Project immediately acknowledged this request and affirmed its commitment to respecting its employees’ rights to form a union if they wish. The nonprofit and the union collaborated expeditiously to align on the appropriate bargaining unit and appoint a neutral arbitrator to confirm employees’ desire to unionize via a simple card check procedure, after which The Trevor Project recognized CWA as the representative for those employees.
As LGBTQ youth suicide continues to be a public health crisis, The Trevor Project’s programs and services remain critical. According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 60% of youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. In addition, The Trevor Project’s recent Morning Consult poll shows that 71% of LGBTQ youth — including 86% of trans and nonbinary youth — say state laws restricting the rights of LGBTQ young people have negatively impacted their mental health. This year, more than 600 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, and at least a dozen states have banned or restricted medically necessary care for transgender and nonbinary young people.
The Trevor Project continues to operate free, 24/7 Crisis Services via phone lifeline, text, and chat. The organization’s Research, Advocacy, Education, and Peer Support programs have all been essential in opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation, as well as protecting and supporting LGBTQ young people amidst the harmful public rhetoric that can negatively impact their mental health.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
