NEW YORK – Unionized editorial staff at Forbes have ratified their first contract in a deal that sets strong editorial integrity protections, establishes a new $68.5K salary floor, includes gold-standard job security protections, and more.
Forbes Union, which represents close to 90 reporters, photo and video editors, ratified the three-year contract on Sept. 1.
“We refused to accept any deal that didn’t honor the value we bring every day to Forbes,” said Andrea Murphy, unit chair and statistics editor for Forbes. “This contract is the direct result of our union’s perseverance and solidarity.”
Highlights from the deal include:
Wages:
- Raises of 4, 3, and 3 percent in each successive year of the contract, with a $2,500 ratification bonus
- New $68,500 wage floor
- Robust salary minimums, giving some members nearly $20,000 or more in raises in the first year
Job security:
- Gold-standard “just cause” job security protections, guaranteeing members’ rights to fair due process and representation should management move to discipline or terminate them
- A one-year recall period for members who are laid off
- A pathway to full-time employment for temps
Workplace standards:
- Strong editorial integrity protections, ensuring a firewall between the edit and business sides of the operation
This deal is the culmination of an over four-year fight for a fair contract by Forbes Union, which first organized with The NewsGuild of New York in 2021. Members staged multiple collective actions — including two work stoppages — to win this first contract.
“Forbes’ success is a direct result of our members’ hard work and their commitment to quality journalism,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of NY. “Our members fought long and hard for the value of their work. They refused to accept anything less and as a result they won a contract that will vastly improve the lives of their members and gives them a voice in maintaining newsroom standards.”