I think it's important that all workplaces are managed cooperatively, with every stakeholder having input into the decisions most consequential to the work being performed, and NAFY is no exception. The voices of our youth – and the workers most acutely aware of their needs and experiences – should be the starting point when determining the direction of the agency and its programs, not an afterthought, merely collected in a survey after changes have been decided at the top. Ours is community work, and NAFY needs to be restructured to center all of its constituent voices if it is going to create meaningful, sustained change in the lives of our community members. 

When I joined NAFY in 2007 I quickly saw that the high turnover was detrimental to building trust and relationships, both among staff and with management. It is worse now than ever. We need a culture of solidarity and trust, and the union effort has already shifted our work culture. Think what we can accomplish once we win!