FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2025
Contact: cbworkersguild@gmail.com or call 773-357-7096
City Bureau workers have won voluntary recognition of their union, the City Bureau Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 34071.
On Wednesday, July 1st, a delegation of workers at City Bureau sought voluntary recognition of their union from the non-profit. The union — which secured unanimous support before recognition — represents 14 eligible staff members across six departments. After going public, the union formally filed for an election with the NLRB on July 7th. City Bureau management responded and signed a voluntary recognition form on July 10th.
With recognition, the Guild will begin the collective bargaining process to develop a contract and has rescinded its petition for a NLRB election. Employees are organizing to ensure workers at City Bureau have a voice in organizational policies that support a sustainable, fair and equitable workplace.
“We look forward to beginning the bargaining process and co-creating an equitable contract that serves workers and the organization we all love,” the City Bureau Workers Guild organizing committee said in a social media statement. “Building a strong, unionized workplace is a journey, and we’ve just taken a major step to bolster our collective power.”
City Bureau was originally founded in 2015 as a volunteer-run organization addressing inequities in Chicago’s local journalism. Since then, City Bureau has grown to a 30-person staff developing programming, training and resources that equip people with the news and information they need to take civic action in Chicago and across the nation.
The City Bureau Workers Guild went public on July 1st and is represented by Chicago News Guild, Local 34071 of The NewsGuild-CWA.
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About the City Bureau Workers Guild
The City Bureau Workers Guild is a group of journalists, program staff, and operations workers organizing to build a more sustainable, equitable, and accountable workplace at City Bureau. United across departments and job functions, we are committed to advancing the organization’s founding values through collective action. We are organizing with the Chicago News Guild, TNG-CWA Local 34071 part of The NewsGuild-CWA, the largest union of journalists and media workers in North America.
