In January 2024, CTUL launched the Strength in Our Roots, Power in Our Branches Campaign, an invitation to our donors to lean in at a time of deep organizational leadership transition. CTUL completed two cycles of a job search for a new Executive Director with Movement Partners and were not able to find the right candidate.

Recognizing the political moment that requires deep clarity of vision and mission, the Board of Directors of CTUL approved a proposal for Merle Payne to continue as Executive Director until June 2027. Merle is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of CTUL together with Veronica Mendez Moore for 17 years, serving as Interim Executive Director for CTUL over the past year. Over the next two years, we will keep the search for a new Executive Director open to invest more deeply in a long-term transition plan.

As part of this commitment, the Board will step into larger public-facing leadership roles, meeting with core partners to grow the movement. In partnership with Merle and CTUL staff, Board members are joining and sharing at meetings with funders and allies, and representing CTUL at funder gatherings.

Resources transition campaign donors have provided so far have led to several successes, including: 

• Carlos Garcia Velasco moved from Lead Organizer in the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) Campaign to Organizing Director, and Patricio Cambias moved from Lead Organizer with Leaders in Growth to Lead Organizer in the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) Campaign. 
• Deep investment in training with our staff, board and membership to step into their leadership at this critical moment.
• Documenting our history through a documentary, art, a series of trainings, and much more.
• Implementing a new database that is better equipped to track organizing, and setting up better internal systems to track and report on our work.

Thank you for leaning in with us in this time of deep, unfolding, and transformative change. We are grateful for your partnership and we look forward to continuing to be in solidarity with you, together we will demonstrate that movement ecosystems can count on worker-led organizations for the long term. 

Mark your calendars for July 24, where members will hold a community meeting to share our vision to build the political power of working class families in Minneapolis through CTUL Action Fund, a new 501c4 organization. 

If you haven’t made a donation yet this summer, you can do so here: Donate Here

¡Sí se puede!

Merle Payne