Employees of the Kentucky chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced on Monday their intent to unionize.

ACLU of Kentucky staff, as well as staff from Louisiana and Mississippi, will join?ACLU Southern Affiliates United.?

They have requested voluntary recognition for their union from management at each affiliate and want to bargain together.?

“There is power in the South. From Appalachia to the Gulf Coast, the South has been the birthplace of national movements for justice and radical change for centuries,” ACLU Southern Affiliates said in a mission statement sent to management Monday morning.?

The unit will have 24 members, including 11 from Kentucky and will be part of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.?

“The most powerful communities of the South are represented in our ranks: Black and Brown folks, women, queer folks, formerly incarcerated people, people who’ve experienced poverty, and others who know that a more perfect union is only possible if every impacted voice has a say in shaping it,” the newly formed unit said. “To this end, we are stronger together.”?

In a statement, Kentucky Senior Policy Strategist Jackie McGranahan said members are “ensuring we all have an equal seat at the table” by making the move to unionize.

The unit’s logo features kudzu, a plant common to all three states in the unit.

“And it’s really fast growing and you can’t ignore it,” one employee told the Lantern, “which is how the southern states are.”