Washington, D.C. – A supermajority of employees at CQ Roll Call have decided to form a union to fight for stronger job protections, better pay and benefits, and a louder voice in newsroom decisions.
For decades, CQ Roll Call’s award-winning journalists have played a critical role in holding our nation’s leaders accountable and keeping readers informed about the inner workings of Congress. But under current management, reporters, photographers and legislative trackers have been asked to do more with less after multiple rounds of layoffs and the company’s refusal to fill open positions.
The CQ Roll Call Guild will become part of The NewsGuild-CWA. The guild will fight to preserve the newsroom’s legacy of nonpartisan journalistic excellence, a rewarding work environment for established reporters, and career development for the next generation.
“I’m proud to support the CQ Roll Call Guild, where we’re fighting for better pay and benefits, stronger job protections, and greater say in management decisions that affect us,” said K. Sophie Will, a Congressional action reporter. “I love this newsroom and could not be more excited that we are unionizing!”
On Wednesday, the CQ Roll Call Guild formally asked FiscalNote, the owner of CQ Roll Call, to voluntarily recognize the union, and submitted cards signed by newsroom employees to the National Labor Relations Board asking for an election if FiscalNote does not do so.
“I am proud to be part of this incredibly smart and talented newsroom, and so proud that we’ve come together to support one another,” said Nick Eskow, who covers Congress.
After the union is certified, CQ Roll Call Guild will begin negotiating a labor contract with FiscalNote.
CQ Roll Call Guild’s support spans every department of the newsroom, from policy reporting to legislative tracking to photography and the production desk. Guild supporters range from veteran journalists with decades of experience to new reporters only months into their first jobs in journalism.
“I started working at CQ Roll Call over five years ago,” said Caroline Coudriet, a defense and national security reporter. “It was my first job out of college. I’ve stuck around because I love my newsroom and the small but mighty team of nerdy journalists who make it our mission to explain Congress to our readers.”
“I work for a consistently profitable news outlet,” said Jim Saksa, a features reporter. “That should be a source of comfort and joy. But instead of seeing reinvestment in the newsroom, I’ve seen it shrink. That’s absurd. It’s past time to unionize.”
The guild seeks fair pay and benefits, strong job protections, guaranteed pathways to growth, and more transparency from management about decisions that affect the newsroom.
Contact cqrollcallguild@gmail.com for more information.