255 leaders from 7 NC IAF organizations, United Power for Action, and NC Workers to Workers—Unite / Here Local 23 packed out Nehemiah Christian Center in Durham on Sunday June 28th for an internal action to ratify a statewide, strictly non-partisan, election action in October 2026 with the US Senate candidates.  Caleb Wolf, Orange County Justice United clergy leader, delivered a strong frame about the organizing opportunity to build more collective power across North Carolina. Bishop Herbert Davis, NC IAF Chair, taught about the importance of statewide power and what makes IAF different and necessary in this political moment.  

Ivan Parra, NC IAF Lead Organizer & Scoot Copper, Unite/Here Organizing Director did a mini workshop about IAF’s labor roots and why we need each other to build broad-based, strictly non-partisan, NC statewide power over the next 10-15 years and in other southern states potentially. 

In the last 18 months, NC IAF and Unite/Here-NC Workers to Workers have been on the ground and have listened to 15,000 people across key Metro and some rural areas statewide about the pressures facing families and communities. Leaders identified through the listening sessions delivered engaging stories on Sunday illustrating these pressures and NC IAF affiliates’ effective local action to address these key issues, pointing the way to a statewide agenda for the action in October on affordable housing, immigration, schools, predatory property taxes & living wages & the right to organize.  

Orange County Justice United (76), Durham CAN (73), Unite/Here (48) anchored the turnout with smaller teams from NC Congress of Latino Organizations, One Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Cabarrus & Forsyth Cos.  More than 70 additional leaders statewide participated via zoom.