After a year and a half of negotiations, workers at the Public Library of Science (PLOS) have reached a tentative agreement on their first collective bargaining agreement, marking a major milestone for the academic publishing sector. Once ratified, the contract will lock in wage increases, just cause protections, job security language and a voice in how the nonprofit operates.
The PLOS union joins the Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39521 of The NewsGuild-CWA. Workers organized to strengthen their workplace, win more equitable conditions and ensure transparency from management. And now, members say they’re proud of what they’ve achieved.
“After years of hard work, it’s so rewarding to have secured a contract that addresses concerns which drove staff to organize in the first place,” said Maddy Ghose, Associate Editor, Publication Ethics at PLOS.
“We scored a more secure, equitable and supportive workplace for all of our colleagues, not just those in the unit and we hope we can raise the bar for other publishers too.”
Key contract wins include:
- Just cause protections for discipline and discharge, along with a clear progressive discipline process and support for workers on performance improvement plans.
- A grievance and arbitration process with support from union stewards and Guild reps.
- Layoff protections including 30-day notice, alternatives discussions, reclassification options, and a rehiring list.
- A Labor-Management Committee that meets quarterly to improve workplace communication.
- Restrictions on outsourcing union work and a requirement to post union-eligible vacancies to U.S.-based applicants.
- Wage increases: All bargaining unit members will receive at least a 3% raise on January 1 of each year the contract is in effect.
- Expanded salary bands for several key roles, including editorial and operations positions.
- Upfront sick leave granted on January 1 each year—no accrual needed.
- Up to four months of paid parental leave and additional unpaid leave opportunities exceeding local/state mandates.
“The protection that Article 31 gives us is so important,” said Giselle Cherbony a Peer Review Operations Specialist at PLOS.
“In the ever changing world of scholarly publishing, it stipulates that management cannot contract out union work for the purpose of reducing or eliminating union positions.”
This win is especially significant given how sparse union contracts still are in academic publishing. In 2021, workers at Oxford University Press became the first major academic publishing house to unionize with The NewsGuild-CWA, setting a precedent that PLOS workers are now helping to expand.