About half a dozen organizers at the United Academics of Philadelphia (UAP), American Federation of Teachers Local 9608, ratified their first collective bargaining agreement in December after winning voluntary recognition in July 2023. The staff unionized with The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia.
Highlights of the contract include:
- $2,500 ratification bonus
- Employer covers 100% of health insurance for everyone
- $800 remote work annual stipend
- 20 weeks of paid parental leave, an increase from nothing before the contract
- 10 days of additional time off after 6 years of employment
- $1,000 professional development stipend
“We’re really proud of the language in this contract,” said unit chair Zoe Cohen. “It allows us to do work as organizers that aligns with our values and helps us build better relations with our members.”
Cohen mentioned that some of the union staff travels all around the country to help members on organizing campaigns which takes a toll on the staffers.
“We fought hard for travel restrictions that will allow organizers to spend more time at home with their families and more time on their home turf assisting with local campaigns. We stood up for each other’s needs throughout this process and we are really proud of that.”
Cohen also emphasized that the contract’s strength was partly due to the UAP executive board’s good-faith bargaining with the union staff.
“They gave us voluntary recognition in July 2023 and continued to engage with us in good faith at the bargaining table. The local’s executive board is very committed to creating good conditions for organizers.”
Workers hope this contract will serve as an example of the type of contract language that all union organizers deserve.
About 150 workers at nine AFT workplaces are unionized with The NewsGuild-CWA alongside other labor movement staffers, journalists and media workers, nonprofit workers and court interpreters.
“This contract has phenomenal provisions for our members, including those 20 weeks of parental leave and 100%-covered health insurance. I would expect nothing less from a union employer, that I’m pleased to see practices what it preaches,” said Diane Mastrull, president of The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia. “Now our members have the peace of mind and security to go out and organize so that more people can realize the benefits of being part of a union.”