American Rights at Work (ARAW) and Jobs with Justice (JwJ) are joining forces. In a joint statement, American Rights at Work Executive Director Kimberly Freeman Brown and Jobs with Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta say:

Unions are about the collective being stronger than the individual—that together we can achieve what we cannot on our own. What's true for construction workers and nurses, for janitors and teachers, is also true for the workers' rights movement. That's why American Rights at Work is joining together with Jobs with Justice by merging.

The new organization will be in place by this fall and American Rights at Work will continue serving as an independent and credible resource on labor law reform as well as organizing and bargaining rights through the production and release of strategic research and timely rapid response and critical public education work.

JwJ and its network of 45 locally autonomous coalitions in 24 states will continue partnering with community, faith and student organizations to build a broader global progressive movement for economic and social justice through solidarity, mobilization, strategic campaigns and, of course, direct action.

Gupta will lead the new organization while Freeman Brown will serve as a senior adviser. American Rights at Work’s Communications Director Liz Cattaneo and Research Director Erin Johansson will be part of the senior management team.

Gupta and Freeman Brown say:

Collectively, we are greater than the sum of our parts, and that's why we are truly looking forward to building this new entity—and a bigger, bolder and brighter future for workers with you.