Labor Partners United: Giving Labor a Voice in Lincoln, Nebraska

Heather McKenzie grew up in a union household. Her grandfather worked for three decades on the railroad as a conductor for Union Pacific. Today, she and her husband carry that legacy forward. Heather is a proud member of IBEW 265. Her husband, a machinist, has served as their local union chairman for the past six years.

Now, as AFL-CIO Labor Liaison and Resource Development Manager for United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County, Heather brings those values to her day-to-day work. “We really wanted a way to give labor a voice so they could have representation within United Way and see the impact of their participation,” she says.

That vision led to the creation of Labor Partners United, a first-of-its-kind affinity group that empowers union members and allies to shape community solutions. Meagan Liesveld, United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County Executive Director, sees the group’s work as “an opportunity to co-create solutions with our community, and invite union members to have a tangible impact on the lives of their neighbors.”  

It’s a continuation of a powerful history.

A Legacy of Partnership  

United Way has partnered with the labor movement since the 1940s, starting with Henry Ford and auto workers during World War II. That national partnership took root locally in 1972, when Lincoln’s Central Labor Union began working with United Way. To Heather’s knowledge, it was the first time a liaison like her was in place, someone dedicated to supporting union members and their families while fulfilling labor’s call to give back.

Today, that collaboration spans nearly every community in the U.S. through the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), an umbrella federation of 64 unions representing 15 million workers and advancing social and economic justice. Local unions, state federations, and labor councils work with United Ways to mobilize members through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy, creating opportunities for their communities to thrive. Labor liaisons help ensure this engagement is meaningful, connecting union members to programs, campaigns, and community initiatives.

Four Pillars of Impact

Through focus groups and committee work over the past two years, labor members identified the community’s greatest needs, forming the foundation for the program’s four pillars of impact:  

• Basic Needs: Mobile Family Resource Centers bring support directly into neighborhoods so families don’t need to take time off work or arrange childcare to access them.  
• Extended Learning Opportunities: Supporting the Community Learning Center at Dawes Middle School offers after-school programming tied to workforce development, giving students hands-on learning experiences.  
• Youth Behavioral Health: Funding a part-time therapist at Dawes Middle School to ensure students and families have access to critical mental health support.  
• Workforce Development: Partnering with Dawes Middle School to expose students to a variety of career paths and the education required to pursue them through mentorship.

In its first year, Labor Partners United raised more than $32,000 to support these programs but Heather has already seen increased engagement from labor members who were previously inactive. And Nebraska’s labor movement is proud to be involved. “Giving back is a key value of unions and we are excited that United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County has a formal way for labor members and allies to do so,” says Sue Martin, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO.

Learn More 

The nationwide partnership between United Way and the AFL-CIO mobilizes millions of union members to give, advocate, and volunteer every year. From disaster response to workforce development and youth opportunity, this collaboration shows how communities can thrive when we are united.  This Labor Day, United Way celebrates the strength of labor and the communities they help build, generation to generation.