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Workers at Norfolk Botanical Garden have voted in favor of union representation by IAM Union. In a July 23 election, employees cast their ballots by a margin of 43-23, joining IAM Local 10 after months of organizing efforts by IAM Southern Assistant Organizing Coordinator Bridget Fitzgerald.
The campaign was sparked by an organizing win for the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in November 2024. After witnessing Lewis Ginter employees’ success in organizing, Norfolk workers reached out to Fitzgerald in early 2025 and started collecting union election authorization cards in May.
“The Lewis Ginter drive garnered a lot of attention,” said Fitzgerald. “They had a social media presence that the Norfolk Botanical Garden workers followed and reached out to talk to those workers, had a couple different conversations about their issues and what made them decide to unionize. Norfolk workers decided that they wanted to travel that same path.”
The IAM Union has been strategically working to organize in the non-profit sector to empower workers who give so much, often to benefit the public, like with the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Workers of the Botanical Garden felt collective bargaining would help to raise wages, which are below a reasonable standard of living in the area, aid in transparency and decision-making, and give workers a collective voice in operations and planning.
“Most of them, the first thing they mention is needing better pay, but then they say that what they really want is a voice,” said Fitzgerald. “The lack of transparency, the inconsistency, and no reliable policy on inclement weather – for this type of work that’s unacceptable.”
Their campaign drew overwhelming public backing, including nearly 450 signers on a community petition and vocal support from State Sen. Angelia Williams Graves and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott.
Despite opposition by the company hiring an anti‑union consultant, the garden workers and now new union members held firm.
“Workers countered every lie and piece of misinformation,” said Fitzgerald. “Nothing the employer did with anti‑union persuasion was going to change their mind.”
The newly certified unit is now preparing for the first contract negotiations, working with IAM Local 10 and District 2020 Directing Business Representative Charles Mann, who will guide the group in distributing a bargaining survey, electing a negotiating committee, and drafting proposals before the formal bargaining sessions begin.
Norfolk IAM members aim to negotiate improvements in wages, a guaranteed inclement‑weather policy, clear attendance practices, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the Garden’s future with sustainable working conditions that reflect their professional dedication.
“We are empowering workers in every industry,” said IAM Organizing Assistant Director Juan Eldridge. “Nonprofit workers are workers nonetheless. They give everything to their job, they are professionals and experts in what they do, and they need to be valued for that expertise and dedication.”
While nonprofit employers may operate with thinner margins, the Nolfolk union workers intend to empower their workplace through collective bargaining. They aren’t seeking to break the garden, they simply want fair dignity and respect on the job.
“They love the work,” said Fitzgerald. “They want to make it a career, not just a job for a few years.”
