Workers at Reviewed.com have formed a union and are joining the Boston Newspaper Guild, a local of The NewsGuild-CWA.
A supermajority of editorial employees at Reviewed, part of the USA TODAY network—from writers and editors to our art, community, lab and operations teams—have formed a union. The Reviewed Union is part of the Boston Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA Local 31245.
The editorial team at Reviewed works together to publish some of the industry’s best product reviews and consumer recommendations. In other words, our job is to help you buy the best stuff and love what you’ve already got.
But that isn’t sustainable for us without better working conditions. Our colleague Joanna told us that “despite receiving glowing performance reviews and working above and beyond my job description, I’m not being compensated on the most basic of levels. This is one of many reasons I am standing with my colleagues to unionize; 50% of my net income goes to rent, or one entire paycheck. I’m one rent increase away from being forced to move out of state.”
We can’t do our jobs if we’re barely making enough to feed and house ourselves, but, in the face of record inflation and rent hikes, we’re told that basic COLA or annual wage increases can’t be guaranteed, that we’re losing our 401k matches, and that hundreds of our Gannett colleagues are losing their jobs.
Our staff has been organizing for months, and we are reclaiming our power to make Reviewed a better place. By forming a union, we will position ourselves to fight against wage disparities, expensive health insurance plans, unjust terminations, unclear in-person and remote working policies, a lack of editorial independence, and more. We’re organizing as workers for a more fair share of the revenue that we produce for Gannett every day, and to struggle against the unilateral austerity measures being imposed by Mike Reed and Gannett leadership which are impacting shops like ours around the country.
When we reach a collective bargaining agreement, we are confident that Reviewed will be a much better place for all of us–and that will be reflected in our editorial content, too. While you may enjoy reading our current reviews of the best air fryers or following our Amazon Prime Day coverage, imagine how much better our work would be if we received the competitive pay, benefits, and support that we deserve.
Our fellow worker Sara put it best. “Forming a union will help pave the way for not only a better Reviewed in the present but for years to come as well. A union gives everyone a seat at the table to have a say in creating a work culture centered on transparency and equity.” Kaleb told us that “Joining a union needn’t be reactive; it can also be proactive. I enjoy my role at Reviewed and I know others enjoy what they do, too. In order to make sure I can keep doing what I love no matter how the economy progresses, I am joining the union.”
We often hear about record profits and impressive reader engagement. While Gannett’s overall numbers are down year-over-year, we’re told that Reviewed remains a “Northstar” priority and a huge revenue driver, particularly because of our coverage of e-commerce events like Black Friday / Cyber Monday—and we are! We work nights and weekends to bring deals coverage and product reviews to our readers that drive millions in affiliate sales during the shopping season. This is money made from our hard work, but we workers do not reap the benefits of it. Instead, we receive pizza parties and pats on the back—barely consolation prizes compared to what we deserve.
With the help of our fellow NewsGuild members under Gannett and the support of each other, we believe that our union can empower and support every Reviewed worker to win a seat at the table. Our efforts are stronger together.
We are proud to join dozens of online and print media outlets who have fought to build a stronger, more supportive industry. Like those who came before us, we hope our efforts leave behind a legacy of worker solidarity and the strength we have when we organize. Workers united will never be defeated.
Now, we demand that Reviewed management voluntarily recognizes our union so that we can reach a fair and just contract for all of us.
For more information, check out our website at reviewedunion.org or email us at reviewedunion@gmail.com.