About

We are a movement of working people who have fought together for over a decade to build a future where all workers have the power, time, and money to lead full, free, empowered lives.

Your job should be
better.

That’s why it’s our mission to transform retail.

16 million people work in retail, making it the largest private employment sector in the United States. But the pay, hours, and benefits don’t provide what people need to thrive.

We’re bringing people who work in retail together, to call on industry leaders and policymakers to transform these jobs so that people can lead safe and economically-secure lives.

We’ve spent 10+ years on the
front lines of this fight.

This is our story.

In 2011, 100 people working hourly jobs at Walmart came together in front of Walmart’s headquarters and raised a call for the corporation to publicly commit to raise pay and treat its employees with respect.

From innovative online organizing and in-person gatherings to Black Friday strikes and online conversations with thousands of employees, the work of the movement has moved Walmart to raise wages, offer accommodations for pregnant mothers, and provide paid family leave to 500,000 full-time employees.

We are building on our successes and creating a path for everyone who works hourly retail jobs to be able to thrive.

Our Impact

We’ve taken on the biggest names in retail

- and won.

$20M Severance Fund

Wall Street-driven retail bankruptcies have left millions of working people without jobs. Tens of thousands of Toys ‘R’ Us employees made history by winning a fund from the private equity companies that owned the toy store.

Walmart Raises Wages

In 2018, we successfully pressured Walmart to raise starting pay to $11/hr - and in 2023, they raised that again to $14. As the largest retailer in the nation, this win ripples across the industry. And now, we’re challenging them to raise the base wage to $25.

Fair Workweek Protections

The Fair Workweek Initiative successfully moved 12 retailers to commit to providing stable workweeks for employees. Chicago, Seattle, San Jose, San Francisco, NYC, Philly and Oregon have all since passed fair workweek laws.

Our Leadership

Bianca Agustin & Terrysa Guerra

Bianca Agustin & Terrysa Guerra Co-Executive Directors Bianca & Terrysa bring a combined 40 years experience in labor & political organizing to United for Respect Education Fund.

Both women are first-generation college graduates whose careers have centered around confronting injustice and affecting change.

Our Board of Trustees

Andrea Dehlendorf

Consultant

Brian Kettenring

Co-President
Global Fund for a New Economy

Carolyn Davis

Walmart Associate,
Walmart

Carrie Gleason

Consultant,
Fair Workweek Initiative

Jen Epps-Addison

Founder and CEO,
Synergy Power Consulting

Lynsey Kryzwick

Managing Director,
Berlin Rosen