Support Assata Harris who was fired by 350.org

Assata Harris, the longest-serving Black US Programs staffer and senior organizing specialist was fired from 350.org on April 6. She was a pivotal leader and lead union contract bargainer for 350 Progressive Workers Union and was fired for being a Black woman who spoke up about injustices in the workplace.

 

Over the last year, Assata faced incredible amounts of harassment from her direct line manager: she was micromanaged and subjected to unsolicited therapy, anti-blackness, and microaggressions.

 

In nearly four years of her time at 350.org, Assata was never disciplined until she questioned 350.org’s racist fundraising practices and spoke up about being disrespected by a colleague. Assata received her first verbal and written warning on March 24 and was fired less than two weeks later in a surprise disciplinary meeting where she was described as ‘unmanageable’ and ‘too intimidating and aggressive’ by her white supervisor. The coded language, often used against Black womxn, is textbook racism.

 

Assata fought for worker rights and racial justice and now they’re trying to silence her by abruptly firing her and offering a severance payoff only if she signs a Non-Disclosure and Non-Disparagement Agreement.  Assata refuses to take their hush money or let 350.org stop her from exposing their continued extractive practices where workers are exploited, neglected, abused, and treated as disposable.

Assata is a true revolutionary. She is an organizer for the people, speaks truth to power, fights for the underdogs, and pushes for worker rights. She embodies everything the movement should aspire to be and was fired because she was too radical and outspoken for 350. org’s racist management.

 

*Trigger warning: sexual assault*

Assata is a survivor of workplace sexual assault – an assault that could have been prevented if 350.org took the time to protect its workers. In 2019, as a young Black woman, 350.org sent her alone to rural, white Louisiana to organize against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. She was new to the area and the virulent racism in the deep South. 350.org made no effort to make sure she would be safe on the trip: there was no in-depth risk assessment or discussion of whether it was safe or not to send a young Black woman, without a colleague, alone to a region with a deep, racially violent history.  Assata was verbally accosted, ran off the road by a car with a confederate flag, and while out to dinner one night, she was targeted, drugged, raped, and left under a car.

 

350.org tried to band-aid the situation with some money and a couple months off of work, but Assata’s confidence and sense of security were shattered. She works daily to overcome severe health issues since the workplace assault: anxiety, depression, and other physical impacts. Despite being sexually assaulted within the first six months of working at 350.org, Assata decided to stick with the organization and became an outspoken leader for worker rights and racial equity. She was determined to make sure that no one else was subjected to the harm she endured.

 

 

She helped US-based workers unionize with the Progressive Workers Union (350PWU) and became a leader on the contract bargaining team. Assata was outspoken and relentless in the fight for a fair and equitable contract and a workplace that worked for everyone. Since the bargaining process began, 350.org management bargaining team members were either demoted, forced out of their roles, or fired. The bargaining process started over two years ago and management is now refusing to bargain with the remaining union employees. 350.org claims to care about the climate, but in truth, they care more about power, dominance, and control, which harms Black workers the most.

 

She worked tirelessly for the union and negotiated with management for a fair and equitable contract and safer working conditions for her fellow workers for over two years. Assata was outspoken about the injustices of institutionalized white supremacy that she witnessed at the organization and they retaliated against her. 350.org is trying to silence Assata, but we can’t let that happen.

 

 

What will donations be used for?

Assata is unexpectedly out of a job because of management’s egregious and racist union-busting. Four years of working at 350.org has caused her insurmountable stress and anxiety and she struggles with an autoimmune disease. Her health insurance is ending later this month and she is experiencing temporary houselessness. Your donation will support Assata with her medications, therapy, living expenses, and health insurance.

Can you help me with a donation today to support Assata who was fired for being an outspoken Black woman and union member?