Contact: edweekunion@gmail.com
BETHESDA, Md. — The staff of the nonprofit Education Week, a top source of news, research, and analysis on K-12 education nationwide, has officially formed a union with the hopes of securing a more transparent and equitable workplace.
Reporters, visual artists, digital and engagement specialists, marketing and advertising professionals, sales representatives, and other employees across Education Week cast their votes on whether they wanted to be represented by the Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild over the past three weeks via mail and in-person ballots. On Nov. 1, the National Labor Relations Board tallied the votes: Of those who voted, 68 percent said yes to a union. The NLRB is expected to certify the election shortly.
“I’m so thrilled that the EdWeek Union has won our election and is joining the many other unionized newsrooms across the country,” said Kaylee Domzalski, a video producer at Education Week. “My colleagues put forth so much energy and passion toward making this happen—I’m so excited for the union to begin the bargaining process.”
The EdWeek Union consists of more than 50 employees at Editorial Projects in Education, the nonprofit organization that publishes Education Week, EdWeek Market Brief, and Top School Jobs. The wall-to-wall bargaining unit includes all employees, including interns, who do not manage someone else.
A strong majority of employees first approached EdWeek’s senior leadership via email with their intent to form a union on Aug. 29 and asked for voluntary recognition. In an email later that day, EdWeek’s chief executive officer rejected the request. Over the next six weeks, EdWeek’s senior leadership team repeatedly urged employees against supporting the union.
“Our goals have always been, and continue to be, to work with our colleagues and with management to strengthen and improve Education Week,” said Emma Prillaman, the events manager at Education Week. “I’ve been at EdWeek for almost a decade, and there is so much to love here. I’m personally most looking forward to codifying many of these strengths in our contract, and to working collaboratively to innovate and improve, setting us ahead of the curve as a company. I truly believe the EdWeek Union will be one more thing to love about working here.”
The EdWeek Union will soon begin the collective bargaining process. Employees look forward to advocating for equitable pay, fair remote work policies, a more robust career pathing structure, and measurable commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I hope that Education Week’s first contract is representative of the organization’s values,” Domzalski said. “I’m excited to see a contract that can help improve the company’s transparency in its compensation structure and remote work policy, and create a clear path to career advancement in the organization.”
For interviews with Education Week staff, please email edweekunion@gmail.com.
About the Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild:
The Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild includes more than 2,500 workers at news outlets, nonprofits, and labor organizations. Other notable units include the Washington Post, Bloomberg Industry Group, AFL-CIO, the Baltimore Sun, and Inside Higher Ed. WBNG is a local of The NewsGuild-CWA, which is a sector of the Communications Workers of America.