The NewsGuild of New York-represented workers at the nonprofit newsroom take action after management’s persistent refusal to agree to a fair contract that includes industry-standard “just cause” job security protections and guardrails around the use of AI.
NEW YORK – Unionized staff at one of the nation’s largest nonprofit newsrooms, ProPublica, have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. Workers have been bargaining for more than two years for a first contract.
The ProPublica Guild, a bargaining unit of The NewsGuild of New York, represents about 150 journalists, videographers, development professionals, copy editors and other workers. The Guild’s strike authorization vote concluded Thursday evening with 92% voting yes and 99% of the union participating in the vote.
Management at ProPublica – which touts its mission to produce investigative journalism with “moral force” – has consistently refused to agree to many provisions that are standard in contracts across the industry.
During more than two years of active bargaining, ProPublica management has:
- Refused to agree to standard job security protections and seniority provisions in layoffs.
- Rejected any restrictions on replacing jobs with AI.
- Denied workers wage increases that keep up with the rising cost of living.
“We are ready to walk off the job to show management that their refusal to agree to basic protections will not be tolerated and that we will not accept anything less than a fair contract,” said Agnel Philip, a data reporter and unit chair of ProPublica Guild.
The vote comes just weeks after the ProPublica Guild conducted a practice picket outside the nonprofit’s New York City headquarters. Practice pickets were also conducted outside company offices across the country, including in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Austin, Texas.
If ProPublica Guild calls a strike, members will establish picket lines at the company’s offices. Supporters will be asked not to cross those lines, visit ProPublica’s website or click on ProPublica content on other platforms during the course of the strike.
“Our union stands united in supporting ProPublica Guild’s efforts to win a fair and just contract, including the possibility of a strike,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “We’re ready to hit the picket line. It’s up to management to decide what happens next.”