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PEN America United 🌹

@penamericaunited.bsky.social

PEN America United (PAU) is the staff union at PEN America, the literary nonprofit founded in 1922. Affiliated with NOLSW/UAW Local 2320, Region 9A. We ratified our first collective bargaining agreement in July 2024.

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PEN America United 🌹 @penamericaunited.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Today, PEN America United released the following statement - PEN America United Stands in Solidarity with Dinaw Mengestu's Resignation, Reaffirms NOLSW Resolution on Palestine (1/2)

On July 9, 2026, the President of PEN America’s Board of Trustees, Dinaw Mengestu, resigned from his role following the publication of a piece which centers the voices of some Israeli and Jewish authors who have experienced censorship, decrease in book deals, or sales in the past several years–primarily with a focus on how “calls to boycott Israeli cultural institutions have had an impact across the international literary and creative communities.”
2/8

PEN America United (PAU), the Union of PEN America’s workers who are represented by NOLSW/UAW Local 2320, notes that despite several members working in communications and in relevant programmatic areas, members had no input into the research, drafting, editorial process, or publication of the piece. Upon publication, the Union raised the likely impact on members’ working conditions, relationships with external partners, as well as the question of the piece’s alignment and consistency with the organization’s mission and principles, which were dismissed by senior leadership.
3/8

PAU released the following statement:
“Dinaw Mengestu has not only been an incredible leader through many eras of this organization over the last decade, but, during his seven-month tenure as Board President, he remained deeply attuned to the needs of our members, who have too often borne the brunt of organizational controversy.”
4/8

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PEN America United 🌹 @penamericaunited.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Today, PEN America United released the following statement - PEN America United Stands in Solidarity with Dinaw Mengestu's Resignation, Reaffirms NOLSW Resolution on Palestine (1/2)

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