FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 17, 2025
OAKLAND, CA – The staff of EdSource, the award-winning nonprofit journalism outlet covering education in California, announced today that they are forming a union to maintain their organization’s relentless drive for critical journalism, while building an inclusive and equitable newsroom.
An overwhelming majority, 93% of non-management staff, have signed cards authorizing union representation by The Pacific Media Workers Guild, NewsGuild-CWA Local 39521. They are asking EdSource leadership to voluntarily recognize the EdSource Guild as a unit of the Communication Workers of America.
Editorial staff across the organization said that they’re unionizing to create the best version of EdSource and to protect our work and mission.
EdSource recently welcomed a new CEO. We look forward to working with Deborah Clark to preserve this organization’s legacy for the future.
Since its founding, EdSource has grown from an authoritative source of school financial data and analysis to California’s leading education news source. Today the work of EdSource journalists has never been more crucial, given the continuous threats to democracy and the unprecedented challenges facing the public education system. At a time when public schools, colleges and universities are being targeted, it’s more crucial than ever before to have journalists monitoring those institutions.
“Modern American journalism and the freedoms that enable it have never faced the existential threats they face now,” said Thomas Peele, EdSource’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. “It is time for journalists to unite and organize to protect their constitutional mandate to independently report on institutions and power. Joining The NewsGuild only strengthens EdSource’s ability to serve the public by aggressively reporting on education in California.”
We are requesting that EdSource management voluntarily recognize us. This will demonstrate a commitment to a united newsroom and respect for the will of employees. It will also save the organization time and money that could better be spent elsewhere.
Granting voluntary recognition is increasingly the norm across our industry. It has happened recently at nonprofits outlets, including Chalkbeat, CalMatters and CitySide, to name just a few. This has only strengthened their organizations.
“As an equity reporter, it is my job to scrutinize whether students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to reach their full potential in California,” said Emma Gallegos, a reporter based in Bakersfield. “Now is the time to ensure that every one of our reporters — particularly young journalists and journalists of color — are also given equitable opportunities to reach their full potential at EdSource. I believe a union can help us achieve that goal.”
Contact the Guild at edsourceguild@protonmail.com