Dues ensure that Guild members have the resources to negotiate and enforce strong contracts, seek legal support, and implement member-driven events and programs. No one pays dues until a first contract is negotiated and voted upon. It’s up to you and your colleagues to work together to advocate for a strong contract and then decide, through [...]
In a creative workplace, particularly newsrooms, it’s not always clear who is/isn’t a supervisor. We rely on you, the people who work in the shop, to explain how your workplace operates. Beyond that, we examine organizational structures and job duties to determine the scope of the union. Management has contested that many people at Hearst are [...]
Once the union and management bargaining committee reach a tentative agreement on the contract, it is voted into place by the membership. Once the contract is in effect, members nominate a representative union committee. The union committee works with Guild staff to enforce the contract and communicate with management about additional issues in the workplace. The [...]
Union contracts address a broad range of issues, from pay and benefits to editorial standards and diversity. While contracts can set minimums for pay, they don’t set maximums – and individuals still retain the right to negotiate above and beyond the minimum rates.
Through continued conversations and a bargaining survey, you determine the bargaining priorities and what does or doesn’t work for your individual workplace, then work with the WGAE staff to develop proposals that specifically address those issues. Those proposals are voted into place by you – the employees. G/O Media, Vox Media, VICE, Fast Company, Slate, and [...]
One of the most common anti-union talking points is the idea that the union is an outside entity that will impose restrictive rules or create more bureaucracy. Management will often ask staff to give the company a chance to make improvements before bringing in a union. But the union is not a third party. It’s you [...]
A key part of contract negotiations is conducting a thorough financial analysis of the institution. The company is compelled to disclose certain information. Through a detailed cost-out of each proposal and this analysis, we propose realistic improvements that will work for employees and the company. Companies often think that they are running their operations as efficiently [...]
It is your legal right to organize a union at work. The WGAE takes that right very seriously and stands with employees to see that they are protected when they organize. You can read about your legal right to form a union on the National Labor Relations Board website. Beyond the legal protection from any kind [...]
A union card is also called a “showing of interest.” It’s essentially voting with your signature that you want to form a union with your co-workers. Union cards are available either as paper cards or electronic forms and ask for personal information (like name, job title, email address). The legal language is “I authorize the Writers [...]
A workplace is “officially” union upon winning union recognition. Union recognition means that the company has a legal obligation to bargain a contract. Most media companies have respected their employees’ democratic right to organize and recognized the union after a neutral third party verifies that a majority of employees signed union authorization cards. In a few [...]