Introducing the Insider Union! Editorial Workers at Insider Unionize with The NewsGuild of New York
04/19/2021
For Immediate Release: April 19, 2021
Contact: Josh Austin, josh@nyguild.org | (484) 269-0158
Introducing the Insider Union!
Editorial Workers at Insider Unionize with The NewsGuild of New York
New York — Today an overwhelming majority of editorial workers at Insider, formerly known as Business Insider, have announced that they have organized to join The NewsGuild of New York. In the spirit of making their newsroom “better every day,” the Insider Union is seeking voluntary recognition from the company in order to begin negotiations for a first contract.
The unit of over 300 people represents journalists and editorial workers across multiple departments, on both web and video. Critical to the growth of Insider from a start-up to an award-winning international news organization, staffers have organized to increase transparency in company decision-making; to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in hiring and retention; for a responsive and fair metrics system that supports professional success; as well as to build a collaborative environment that values their contributions and labor.
The Insider Union is one of the largest digital shops to organize with the NewsGuild-CWA. It joins a number of other news and media organizations that have come together to address their working conditions and to hold their employers accountable, including New York Times tech workers, the New York Daily News, The New Yorker, NBC News Digital, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
"My colleagues and I deserve to have our voices heard and recognized,” said Nico Reyes (she/her), Producer at Insider. “We're uniting to demand a seat at the table to bargain for a fair contract and better workplace. I'm so proud of the work that has been done so far and can't wait to see where we go from here."
"I am so proud that hundreds of my colleagues are working together to bring democracy to our fast-growing digital newsroom,” said Insider Reporter Alex Nicoll (he/him). “Together, we power Insider's journalism, and by speaking up in unison, we will transform Insider into an even better place to work."
"In my view, unionizing the newsroom is the ultimate sign of our respect for Insider,” said Dominick Reuter (he/him), Insider Senior Reporter. “It shows that we believe in the mission of this company, and that we want to be a part of its long-term success. Negotiating a contract with us will show that our respect is reciprocated."
“I continue to be inspired by the ongoing commitment of media workers to address the deep challenges of our industry in their workplaces,” said Susan DeCarava (she/her), President of The NewsGuild of New York. “As the editorial workers at Insider declared this morning, they organized with the NYGuild to strengthen their newsroom and create an inclusive, safe, and collaborative professional workplace. Today, we all stand proudly and in solidarity with Insider Union.”
The Insider Union Mission Statement:
Insider is a transformational force in digital journalism. It’s a place where journalists can do their best work. It’s a place that fights to make journalism a sustainable business. And it’s a place that proves the news can be fair and accurate while also being fun and fearless.
We, the Insider editorial staff, are forming a union with The NewsGuild of New York to secure what we’ve built and strengthen it.
Insider is built by our world-class team of reporters, web editors, producers, video editors, social media producers, animators, photographers, designers, and copy editors. We want a contract that fully respects the work of all our staff and gives us a greater voice at our company.
A union contract will do that and more, helping us get better every day.
Our management has guided us safely through a roiling industry. We’ve seen tremendous growth, especially following Axel Springer’s acquisition in 2015, which has pushed us to heights that would have seemed impossible to the first Insider employees writing quick blogs in a Manhattan loading dock.
We seek to ensure the company keeps the promises it’s already made and to build on them. We want accountability and transparency from management regarding employee demographics and salary gaps; a deliberate and permanent effort to hire more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ employees and pay them appropriately; more resources and funding for DEI-centered verticals like Voices of Color and Out Insider; greater support and flexibility for parents and other caregivers; a metrics system that is reasonably and fairly applied across the company; and a more robust and effective way for employees to voice concerns about our work environment.
Insider aims to be the leading publication of the digital generation, and the NewsGuild will get us closer to that goal. The Guild has a strong track record with publications like The New York Times, Reuters, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed News, NBC News Digital, and dozens of other digital media organizations.
We’ve organized one of the largest digital media union drives in history with the NewsGuild during a pandemic because we love the work we do. We ask that the company follow the lead of its peers in the media industry and voluntarily recognize us so that we can move to the bargaining table and work together to build a better Insider.
Follow: @insiderunion | @nyguild
Learn more: insiderunion.org | nyguild.org
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ABOUT THE NEWSGUILD OF NEW YORK
The NewsGuild of New York, Local 31003 of the Communications Workers of America, is a labor union representing nearly 4,000 media professionals and other employees at New York area news organizations, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Thomson Reuters, The Nation, BuzzFeed News, TIME, PEOPLE, Wirecutter, and The Daily Beast. The NewsGuild of New York advocates for journalists to have a voice in the newsroom, for press freedom, for inclusive and diverse workplaces, and for just cause, no exceptions, for all media professionals.
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