Nieman Foundation at Harvard
Funding, distribution, algorithmic pivots, unionizing: The path to profitability in digital media is far from figured out, but unionization seems to be part of the trend.
The Ringer’s editorial, audio, video, and social staff have formed a union with Writers’ Guild of America East, the same group that represents unions at Refinery29, Gimlet Media, Vice, Vox, and G/O Media (formerly Gawker et al).
We hope that The Ringer will recognize our union so we can begin the collective-bargaining process and start working toward a more equitable company.
— Ringer Union (@RingerUnion) August 12, 2019
The staffers at the three-year-old site founded by Bill Simmons, drawing heavily on podcast revenue, are seeking a discussion on issues including compensation, benefits (“the creation of 401ks”), diversity, severance, intellectual property, and more.
Digital media-native companies are having quite a summer with union negotiations. BuzzFeed’s union was finally recognized in July after five months of company talks, and is now in contract negotiations. Vox Media’s sites went dark for a day in early June as employees protested some conditions in contract negotiations but came to an agreement shortly after.
u absolutely love to see it ✊ pic.twitter.com/eMyTDMqysZ
— BuzzFeed News Union ✊ (@bfnewsunion) July 23, 2019
June 14, 2019: After 1 year and 7 months, we ratified our first collective bargaining agreement under the @WGAEast.https://t.co/W05V0hsPkR
— Vox Media Union (@vox_union) June 17, 2019
As newsroom employees go without raises, @tribpub reported $2.7 million in profit this past quarter. https://t.co/ZlThb2WQPN
It's past time to share the wealth with @TidewaterGuild @baltsunguild @ChesapeakeGuild @CourantGuild @mcallguild @CTGuild
— Brock Vergakis (@BrockVergakis) August 8, 2019
“We are here because we have a shared mission.”
Here is the opening statement from @CourantGuild, @CTGuild, @mcallguild, @ChesapeakeGuild and @TidewaterGuild as we enter bargaining together. pic.twitter.com/Ul92OHaMEi
— Hartford Courant Guild (@CourantGuild) August 12, 2019
It’s time.
Bargaining starts today. The newly unionized guilds throughout @tribpub are working together, across cities and newsrooms, to improve working conditions for all of us. We. Are. Ready.#WeAreOneVoice @mcallguild @TidewaterGuild @ChesapeakeGuild @CourantGuild @CTGuild pic.twitter.com/WcfkJL7e6V
— Chicago Tribune Guild (@CTGuild) August 12, 2019
#WeAreOneVoice … and we are in red @news_guild merch! Here's why: Today marks the start of collective bargaining — our guild and the other new Tribune Publishing unions are working together to bargain our first contracts. Wish us luck! @PhillyNewsGuild @latguild @gaufre pic.twitter.com/kA0hwDQUnP
— Jennifer W. Sheehan (@jenwsheehan) August 12, 2019
Fun fact: Together we & @mcallguild @CTGuild @ChesapeakeGuild @CourantGuild are representing about 500 Tribune employees. #WeAreOneVoice
— Tidewater Guild (@TidewaterGuild) August 12, 2019
The newly unionized guilds of Tribune Publishing begin a new chapter today— the road to our first contracts. We stand together as one — committed to the communities we serve and to our union. #WeAreOneVoice @TidewaterGuild @ChesapeakeGuild @CourantGuild @CTGuild pic.twitter.com/dU9W7wbvpk
— The Morning Call Guild ☀️ (@mcallguild) August 12, 2019
If you’re in need of a refresher on how media got into all this unionization, our sister publication Nieman Reports traced it from Gawker’s 2015 move to the Tribune today:
Several of the early digital contracts made impressive gains. Some Vice writers were earning just $35,000, and the contract set a $45,000 floor, giving some writers an immediate $10,000, or 28 percent, raise. Gawker’s first contract called for a 9 percent raise over three years, as well as a minimum salary of $50,000 for any full-time employee and a minimum of $70,000 for senior writers and editors. To help reduce the helter-skelter aspect of raises, every Gawker employee was given the right to meet at least once yearly with his or her supervisor to discuss merit raises. In case of layoffs, Gawker pledged two weeks’ severance pay for every year on the job, and it improved its 401(k) plan to give a dollar-for-dollar match for the first 3 percent of pay.
Impressed by such gains, more digital journalists unionized, including those at Thrillist, Mic, Salon, Jacobin, ThinkProgress, and Al Jazeera America (before it closed). “Once Gawker did it, other folks said, ‘We could do this,’ and it quickly became the norm in the new media world,” says Dave Jamieson, HuffPost’s labor reporter.
