The Montgomery-based, left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) laid off over 60 employees on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the SPLC employee union said on X Wednesday night that the nonprofit SPLC, "an organization with nearly a billion dollars in reserves, given an F rating by CharityWatch for 'hoarding' donations — gutted its staff by a quarter."
"SPLC's decision has a catastrophic impact on the organization's work in support of immigrants seeking justice and its mission to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance human rights through support of educators," the SPLC union spokesperson said. "CEO and President Margaret Huang announced that the cuts would allow greater 'focus' on racial justice, but failed to explain how eliminating immigrant justice work and anti-racist education work served that goal. More than 60 SPLC Union members, including five Union stewards and our Union Chair, were informed that they would be losing their jobs. We are devastated for our Union and for our colleagues. Functionally eliminating the Learning for Justice department leaves educators, students, and caregivers without resources and support in building curricula and orienting classrooms toward justice work."
The union spokesperson continued, "Make no mistake — laying off dozens of employees, many of whom were Union activists, less than a year before we will bargain our second contract was no coincidence."
"This is designed to punish Union activists and intimidate employees, just as we saw when Mercedes-Benz fired Union organizers in Vance, Alabama. Management's goals here are clear, but they will not win. Our Union is strong," the union spokesperson said. "With nearly a billion dollar endowment and Huang earning $500,000 per year, how does abandoning SPLC's commitments help advance the human rights of all people? Are these the actions of an organization fighting for racial justice in the deep South?"
The layoffs come nearly two years after the SPLC employee union negotiated its first collective bargaining agreement with SPLC management.
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