Meet Chris
Chris Stout is the founder of Stout Solidarity and has worked in the labor movement since 2007. For nearly two decades, Chris has partnered with unions and workers across sectors to strengthen collective power, navigate complex challenges, and build durable and powerful unions.
Background
Chris has worked with SEIU, SAG-AFTRA, and AFSCME in a range of roles, including internal and external organizer, union representative, and chief negotiator. Over the course of his career, Chris has supported nearly 40 interim and regular negotiation tables, serving as chief negotiator at over 20 of them, with a focus on developing member leaders throughout the process.
Throughout his career, Chris’s experience fell into the following three main industries:
Healthcare — from community public health clinics to large private acute care hospitals. This includes mental health clinics, working with providers and social services.
Public Sector — from small special taxing districts to large state and county agencies.
Broadcast Media — from small music radio stations to big-market television newsrooms. This includes public media and national radio agreements.
Chris has worked with a broad range of unit sizes. This includes a 3-person bargaining unit in California’s Inland Empire and large 1000-member units, like the union at Contra Costa County’s social services agency.
His experience spans both frontline representation and strategic leadership roles, giving him a practical, grounded understanding of how decisions at the table affect members in the workplace.
Areas of Focus
Through Stout Solidarity, Chris works directly with unions and labor organizations on:
Collective bargaining and negotiations
Grievance handling and dispute resolution
Member representation
Staff and steward training
Leadership development
The work is hands‑on, collaborative, and tailored to each organization’s goals and culture.
Approach
Chris’s approach is rooted in a simple principle: the work should always build the union.
That means engaging member leaders throughout bargaining, campaigns, and problem‑solving processes in ways that build their skills, confidence, and collective capacity — not replacing them or doing the work for them. The goal is not just to resolve the issue at hand, but to leave the union stronger and more capable than it was before.
Working Together
Chris works closely with union leadership, staff, and rank & file membership, bringing clarity, preparation, and steady support to moments that matter. Whether supporting negotiations, handling complex grievances, or facilitating training and leadership development, the focus remains on trust, accountability, and long‑term strength.