Members of the CommonWealth Beacon Guild are thrilled that MassINC, the nonprofit that publishes CommonWealth Beacon, announced that it has officially awarded the union voluntary recognition.
Management informed the Guild on Friday morning following a vote by MassINC’s Board of Directors. All parties involved can now move forward to bargaining over a fair contract in a spirit of collaboration and good faith.
“This is the exact outcome for which we were hoping,” said Chris Lisinski, a senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon. “We’re honored that MassINC recognizes the hard work of our newsroom and our desire to collectively bargain to make it an even better place, both for ourselves and for all future employees.”
From regional papers to small but mighty newsrooms, the communities we all serve are stronger when journalists have workplace protections and a seat at the table. The CommonWealth Beacon Guild joins peers across New England as part of The Providence Newspaper Guild, part of NewsGuild-CWA.
The four reporters and one digital producer who came together to launch the Guild are passionate about their mission to educate, inform, and uplift Massachusetts readers. We will work to ensure CommonWealth Beacon continues to excel, and remains a place where employees can enjoy stability and longevity, as it grows.
The staff of CommonWealth Beacon announced it was coming together as the CommonWealth Beacon Guild last week. Their announcement is below:
Every single eligible staff member enthusiastically supports forming a union. MassINC, the nonprofit organization that publishes CommonWealth Beacon, has not yet granted CommonWealth Beacon Guild voluntary recognition. We are optimistic about receiving recognition in the coming days, which will signal a good-faith effort by management to work together in a collaborative manner.
MassINC made a foundational commitment to support “building ladders to the middle class for all Massachusetts residents.” We call on management to honor that promise by recognizing our seat at the table, something many of our peers at other New England newsrooms have already won.
Should management force us to go through a formal National Labor Relations Board election, we are certain the outcome will be unanimous support.
“To get truly impactful reporting that educates the public and holds power to account, you need journalists who can develop expertise, build out sourcing, and refine their craft with a sense of stability,” said Chris Lisinski, a senior reporter at CommonWealth who covers Beacon Hill and transportation. “Each one of us cares deeply about our work, and coming together as a union gives us the tools to do the best job possible.”
We are proud to become just the latest data point in a national trend of nonprofit newsrooms unionizing. The industry is better served with journalists who have a say in the decisions of their organizations.
The CommonWealth Beacon Guild will join The Providence Newspaper Guild, part of NewsGuild-CWA. The Providence Newspaper Guild is a growing local, with members in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, that is actively looking to build union power across the Northeast.
“The leadership and membership of the Providence Newspaper Guild are excited to welcome members of the CommonWealth Beacon Guild to our growing union family,” said PNG President Kate Levesque. “It’s good for all involved — both employers and employees — when everyone has a seat at the table and all voices can be heard. We look forward to standing by and helping our newest members in every way possible as they strive to achieve their workplace goals.”
Media contact: cwbeacon.guild@gmail.com
You can follow the workers on social media at @CWBeaconGuild