Workers at The Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF) have filed to join the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) as members.
The union filed with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Thursday, September 3rd, after a more than a dozen staff signed union cards. This will be a wall-to-wall bargaining unit including workers in the editorial, development and tech departments at the digital media company. These workers are based across the country, providing their skills and knowledge to the nationwide media sector.
“The Investigative Journalism Foundation launched with a mission to strengthen democracy,” the workers said in their Mission Statement (see full statement below).
“We’re proud to announce we are committing to strengthening democracy and transparency in our workplace. […] We want to help build a work environment that remains respectful and equitable for all workers as the IJF expands.”
The Canadian Media Guild represents media workers at other outlets including APTN, Canada’s National Observer, Vice, BuzzFeed, The Canadian Press and CBC/Radio-Canada. CMG is pleased to welcome these media workers who organized themselves with support from CWA Canada organizers.
“Investigative journalism is vital in holding those in power to account. These workers play a pivotal role in the research that they do, the data that they gather for others and the stories that they tell,” said Jane Robertson, national president of the CMG. “The workers at IJF have put that care and dedication to the craft by creating a lasting change within their own organization by joining our union.”
The CMG will await the decision of the CIRB over the coming weeks as we work to welcome the members from IJF.
IJF (Investigative Journalism Foundation) The IJF is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces fearless public interest journalism. Their reporting covers the intersection of money and power in public life: where government money comes from and how it gets spent, who wields influence in the halls of power, and who’s violating the public trust.
The Canadian Media Guild is a democratic trade union representing 6,000 workers in the Canadian media. Our members work at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Société Radio-Canada (CBC/SRC), The Canadian Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), TVO, TFO, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), ZoomerMedia and CKOI Radio Gatineau (Québec). We also represent media freelancers.
Mission Statement from the workers of the Investigative Journalism Foundation
The Investigative Journalism Foundation launched with a mission to strengthen democracy. As editorial, operations and tech workers, we have built a media outlet that holds the powerful to account and makes it easier for citizens and other journalists to do the same.
Our investigations have brought the public behind closed doors, shedding light on decisions made in government offices and corporate boardrooms. Our databases have made it possible for anyone to trace money and influence in politics and have made thousands of previously confidential documents available to the public.
Today, we’re proud to announce we are committing to strengthening democracy and transparency in our workplace. The workers of the IJF have voted to form a union.
One of our main goals is to ensure our non-profit can attract and retain the talent it needs to be competitive. We want to help build a work environment that remains respectful and equitable for all workers as the IJF expands. This includes interns, fellows, academics and others working with our team who may not otherwise have a voice.
We hope to put standards and procedures in place for evaluating performance, helping employees improve based on feedback, and, if necessary, ending employment fairly. Employees should receive fair severance packages and clear reasons for dismissal.
That means ensuring standards are applied fairly and that decisions about staffing, scheduling and performance expectations are reasonable and collaborative. Through contract negotiations, we hope to establish protocols for changing or adding work responsibilities while respecting prior agreements and adjusting compensation accordingly.
A union contract can help us establish a clear chain of command throughout our entire organization so that priorities and responsibilities are communicated openly and no one person has control over all HR decisions. Clear communication between workers and management, including procedures for editorial oversight and editorial independence, will help ensure every IJF employee receives equal support and has the opportunity to do their best work.
By giving workers a greater voice, we know all IJF employees will become even more invested in their work and in the organization’s continued growth and success.