Biography
As Chief of Staff at the National Employment Law Project, Melissa Matos supports building and sustaining organizational culture and practices that best serve NELP’s strategic priorities and commitment to racial and economic equity. In close partnership with the Executive Director, Melissa ensures staff members, partners, and stakeholders see how their unique contributions can further NELP’s mission while identifying larger operational patterns and opportunities within our movement to build worker power.
Melissa has an extensive background within the organized labor movement supporting short-and long-term strategies and organizational effectiveness. While at the Communications Workers of America, Melissa worked as a national director centering economic challenges faced by black, brown, immigrant, women, and LGBTQIA workers.
By developing a popular education curriculum, uplifting the lived experiences of workers, and expanding skills and leadership development programs, Melissa has supported numerous winning organizing, contract, electoral, and base-building campaigns. Prior to her time at CWA, she served as a political and legislative representative for the American Postal Workers Union. There, Melissa supported APWU’s advocacy for a robust, public postal service and key protections for postal and other federal workers.
Before and during her attendance of graduate and law school, Melissa supported immigrant community organizing efforts in St. Louis, Missouri and Miami, Florida around racial, religious, and gender discrimination, focusing on improving workers’ access to healthcare and protection of workplace rights.
Education
Saint Louis University School of Law
Saint Louis University School of Public Health
Florida International University
Pronouns
she/her/hers