On June 6, The New Yorker magazine voluntarily recognized NewsGuild-CWA, a sector of Communications Workers of America — after nearly 90 percent of its 115 workers signed cards seeking to join. That came one day after workers at the business magazine Fast Company announced they were joining Writers Guild of America (WGA). The two unions are witnessing a wave of worker organizing in both print and online media, demanding greater job security, fair and transparent pay, editorial autonomy, and newsroom diversity:
- The Chicago Tribune newspaper voluntarily recognized NewsGuild-CWA in May, after more than 85 percent of its 280+ journalists signed cards. It’ s the first union in the paper’s 171-year history.
- Mic in March voluntarily recognized NewsGuild as representative of its 50 employees.
- Los Angeles Times workers voted 248-44 to join NewsGuild-CWA in January. It’s the first union in its 137-year history.
- Slate employees voted 45-7 in January to join Writers Guild of America.
- Vox Media in November 2017 agreed to recognize WGA as the representative of 400 employees at its online media outlets: Curbed, Eater, Recode, SB Nation, Racked, Polygon, The Verge and Vox.
- Vice Media in September 2017 voluntarily recognized the decision by 430 employees to join WGA and the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700), and is now in bargaining.
- The Intercept online investigative site recognized WGA in April 2017 as the representative of its 32-member staff.
- Thrillist workers voted 56-3 to join WGA in March 2017.
- Huffington Post ratified its first union contract in January 2017 covering 200+ workers, after having voluntarily recognized WGA the year before.
- ThinkProgress news site ratified its first WGA contract in July 2016, covering 30 employees.
- Gawker ratified its first WGA contract in 2016 after a 80-27 union vote in 2015.
- Salon.com workers voted to join WGA in 2015.
- The Guardian US edition ratified its first NewsGuild-CWA contract in September 2017, two years after workers voted 45-0 to join.
