In five years, thousands of media employees have come together to unionize their workplaces and negotiate union contracts. Fundamentally, the demand of any group of workers forming a union is the same – to win a formal seat at the table in order to negotiate over the future of their workplace. Each group decides what to advocate for at the bargaining table as a union.

Though priorities vary from workplace to workplace, the issues tend to revolve around the same categories. Media employees want to address core economic concerns, including: pay equity and transparency, preserving or improving benefits (leave time, 401k, health insurance), regular and fair cost of living increases, working conditions (such as hours), job security, and intellectual property and proper crediting. Creative professionals also negotiate to address workplace “culture” issues, including: diversity and equity, corporate transparency and communication, and editorial policies and independence.

Negotiating a union contract is a core element of any unionized workplace, however, it doesn’t stop there. Organized workplaces have structures for democratic representation and collective decision making processes. That means that unionized companies have a mechanism in place to share information across employees and to take collective action if and when necessary. This includes, for example, regular meetings with management and organizing workplace diversity committees.

Thrillist Union member Anthony Schneck wrote in his own words why he and co-workers came together to organize a union.

Leadership and internal structures, ownership, and editorial direction of media and news companies change rapidly. Organizing is a way to ensure a seat at the table and guarantee terms of employment, including policies on severance, layoffs, discipline, and termination. Companies expand rapidly and workers deserve a seat at the table to participate in decisions made about the future of the companies they helped build. For example, HuffPost and Vox Media negotiated unprecedented contract language that provides a process for revenue sharing of derivative works. 

Additionally, union membership expands the role of editorial staff in the management and direction of a company. Union members in media participate in building the company through the creation of committees and increased communication and collaboration across regions and departments.

Organizing a union isn’t only about the future of one company. Industries with union density have fewer pay gaps and higher pay overall. Union members across the industry are working together to support each other and build a long-term movement to address and change systemic issues like diversifying the media industry and protecting critical journalism.

Given the global pandemic, we find ourselves in a unique moment – obviously, these are unprecedented times. Hearst executives may use this talking point to try to persuade us that now is not the right time to form a union. But it’s just the opposite: it is clear that we need to have a seat at the table. We formed our union to ensure that we all have a voice and more security at work, and to bring us together in times of great difficulty. And we believe that the best way to navigate the ever-changing media industry, pandemic or not, is together.

They may also point to media companies that have laid off or furloughed employees or otherwise made cuts during the pandemic, and insist that it’s because those companies have unions. This is false: many unionized media companies have not laid off employees or made cuts – and plenty of non-unionized media companies have. The difference is that if Hearst does need to make tough decisions around employment, they must negotiate with our union first. Read Vox Media Union’s Twitter thread about what happened with their furloughs.

One of the most common anti-union talking points is the idea that the union is an outside entity that will impose restrictive rules or create more bureaucracy. Management will often ask staff to give the company a chance to make improvements before bringing in a union. But the union is not a third party. It’s all of our colleagues coming together to establish common priorities and bargain collectively over the terms and conditions of our employment. It’s the only way for staff to have a guaranteed seat at the table and a guaranteed say in pay, working conditions, and benefits. The union can be used to establish things like employee site reps and labor management committees, which both increase, not limit, open lines of communication. 

Media industry executives also may try to scare their employees by arguing that a union will threaten innovation. As VICE, G/O Media, Vox Media, Group Nine, and HuffPost have already demonstrated, a union contract that creates fair working conditions does not hinder creative flexibility. You can read their contracts here.

Often these messages are delivered by management via email as well as individual and group meetings. Most anti-union campaigns use the same script – one example is management’s unsuccessful anti-union campaign at Thrillist. Management is not allowed to interrogate, intimidate or threaten you over your union activity. If you feel your rights have been infringed upon, contact the Hearst Union Organizing Committee: hearstunion@gmail.com.

It is our legal right to organize a union at work. The WGAE takes that right very seriously and stands with employees to see that they are protected when they organize. You can read about your legal right to form a union on the National Labor Relations Board website.

Beyond the legal protection from any kind of company retaliation, the union is a way to ensure we have job protection through the solidarity and strength of our coworkers. When hundreds of people come together and support one another through a union, we are protected from bad or retaliatory management behavior. No one individual can be singled out. This is not the case in a non-union work environment.

Organizing a union is the best way to protect the benefits we currently have, which are at the full discretion of management in a non-union environment. Once our union is recognized, the company must maintain the status quo and can no longer make unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment; any changes must be negotiated through the collective bargaining process. When negotiating a first union contract, the union will typically propose to lock in the things employees like and make improvements where things could be better. And then it’s a negotiation from there. The stronger and more participatory the union, the more likely it is that employees can secure workplace improvements.

The Writers Guild of America, East is a labor union of thousands of creative professionals who create media, broadcast news, scripted television and motion pictures. For decades the Writers Guild has been essential in fighting for better standards in working conditions, compensation, and the respect of dignity of members. The WGAE’s mission is to build a community of creative professionals with the willingness to support each other and the power to secure fair industry standards.

Typical WGAE bargaining units in media include writers, reporters, and editors, as well as a range of people doing creative and editorial work, such as video and podcast producers, social media managers, photographers, and graphic designers. Each group works together to decide and define the boundaries of editorial staff.

Dues ensure that Guild members have the resources to negotiate and enforce strong contracts, seek legal support, and implement member-driven events and programs.

No one pays dues until a first contract is negotiated and voted upon. It’s up to us to work together to advocate for a strong contract and then decide, through voting, whether or not to ratify the contract.

WGAE dues are set by the Council (a governing body made up of elected members). Dues are 1.5% of earnings + $40/quarter membership fee. After a contract is negotiated and ratified, dues are deducted each pay period. Upon leaving a union shop, individuals can decide to continue paying the $40/quarter fee to retain Guild membership. The $500 initiation fee is a one-time fee that is waived for anyone on staff before a union contract is in place; it can be paid in installments by anyone hired after contract ratification.