IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2025
Press Contact: missionlocalguild@gmail.com
PMWG Staff: esteban@mediaworkers.org
SAN FRANCISCO – Employees at Mission Local, the largest nonprofit newsroom solely covering San Francisco, announced today the creation of the first union at the organization, as a part of the Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39521 The NewsGuild – Communications Workers of America.
The organizers, which include development and reporting staff, said the union will lay out the foundations to make Mission Local a newsroom where the professional development of its workers is clearly laid out as the organization continues to grow.
“Mission Local is a special place for many reasons,” said Abigail, a reporter. “Where else do you get to both craft meaningful stories and help shape the future of the organization?”
The newsroom is currently composed of 13 full-time staff, including four editors and eight reporters, plus rotating interns and volunteers.
“The union is a step forward for us and for Mission Local. We look forward to starting conversations with the leadership to create a contract that is fair to both the organization and the workers,” said Oscar, a reporter at Mission Local.
“I’ve watched Mission Local come a long way over the years — when I started, I was one of two reporters here,” said Eleni, a reporter of four years at the outlet. “Today, we are organizing to ensure our team is supported and thriving alongside the growth of the paper.”
Mission Local was founded in 2008 by Executive Editor Lydia Chávez as a project to allow UC Berkeley journalism students to report in one of the most diverse communities in San Francisco.
Since its creation, Mission Local has been recognized with many journalistic awards for its work. In 2024, the nonprofit won 12 awards from the California Journalism Awards, and most recently this year, it was named as a finalist at the 2025 LION Sustainability Awards.
“As reporters we approach our work with fairness and empathy — organizing is no different. By creating a union we are laying the groundwork for ourselves as we mature in our roles, and new reporters who will join our team,” said Kelly, a data reporter at Mission Local.
“We’re proud of the work we do and we believe that a union is the best way to protect and strengthen our ability to do it,” said Io, another reporter.
“Forming a union is a natural next step as we grow from a small, scrappy team into a highly professionalized outlet,” said Vicky, Mission Local’s donor engagement lead. “On the business side, we have big plans to expand our operations and having a union will ensure we are centering the well-being of our budding team in our goals for the future.”
The NewsGuild-CWA is the largest union of journalists and other communications employees in North America, representing more than 25,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada. The NewsGuild is a sector of the Communications Workers of America, which represents employees in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, broadcast and cable television, health care, public service and education, law enforcement, manufacturing and other fields. The Pacific Media Workers Guild represents hundreds of journalists and other workers in printing, academic publishing, nonprofit advocacy and staff unions primarily based out of the Bay Area, Northern California, and Hawaii.