Unionized Staff at ProPublica Vote to Authorize Strike

Unionized staff at one of the nation’s largest nonprofit newsrooms, ProPublica, have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. Workers have been bargaining for more than two years for a first contract. The ProPublica Guild, a bargaining unit of The NewsGuild of New York, represents about 150 journalists, videographers, development professionals, copy editors and other workers. The Guild’s strike authorization vote concluded last week with 92% voting yes and 99% of the union participating in the vote.  

Management at ProPublica – which touts its mission to produce investigative journalism with “moral force” – has consistently refused to agree to many provisions that are standard in contracts across the industry. During more than two years of active bargaining, ProPublica management has:

• Refused to agree to standard job security protections and seniority provisions in layoffs.
• Rejected any restrictions on replacing jobs with AI.
• Denied workers wage increases that keep up with the rising cost of living.

“We are ready to walk off the job to show management that their refusal to agree to basic protections will not be tolerated and that we will not accept anything less than a fair contract,” said Agnel Philip, a data reporter and unit chair of ProPublica Guild. If ProPublica Guild calls a strike, members will establish picket lines at the company’s offices. Supporters will be asked not to cross those lines, visit ProPublica’s website or click on ProPublica content on other platforms during the course of the strike. Read more here, and click here to support the members of ProPublica Guild by telling management that, when the day comes, you will not cross the digital picket line!