Frequently Asked Questions

What is the POLITICO/E&E union? 

A democratic organization composed of your colleagues at POLITICO and E&E News, looking to collectively negotiate fair pay and secure benefits -- all to voice the newsroom’s view in business decisions that affect us. 

Who’s involved? 

Your colleagues -- the editorial employees in these publications. Some members have volunteered to organize and coordinate the effort. You are always welcome to join the organizing committee.

Are you doing this because you hate management?

We’re doing this because we care about our coworkers and we want our voices to be represented in decisions that affect our lives. The vast majority of comparable news organizations have unionized newsrooms. It is a normal, healthy feature of a well-functioning company culture.

What’s the legal process leading to a union?

We’re working to secure signatures from a supermajority of newsroom employees from E&E and POLITICO. Once that happens, we’ll ask management to voluntarily recognize us. They have already strongly suggested they are unwilling to do that. If they don’t, we’ll have an election six to eight weeks after we announce our union publicly and file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. 

You’ll sign a mission statement describing our values and a union authorization card. That’s a card in which you write your name, work information, contact information, sign and date. These are submitted to the National Labor Relations Board to trigger a Representation Certification election. It’s anonymous. 

What happens during the election period? 

We expect management will attempt to dissuade us from forming a union. Their arguments will be misleading, reliant on emotional manipulation and falsehoods. You can get more detail about that during specially tailored information sessions. 

What happens next?

The union will be certified by the National Labor Relations Board when a majority of employees from POLITICO and E&E vote to support it. Representatives from our union — not necessarily the same people who are on the organizing committee — will then negotiate a contract with management. 

Once the union is certified, even before a contract has been finalized, management will be legally required to notify us in advance and bargain over most changes to our working conditions. This is called "status quo."

What will be negotiated in the contract? 

It depends on what the newsroom wants! During organizing, we’ve heard frustrations about a lack of transparency and equity around pay; unevenly applied benefits; and burnout. We’ve heard fears that new ownership could draw back on commitments made by management.

We will also negotiate to lock in the parts of the job we like and secure job protections. Ultimately, the precise issues and remedies are up to us.

What have other newsroom unions negotiated? 

Minimum pay for a given level of experience. Pay equity studies to determine whether journalists from underrepresented backgrounds are paid fairly. Standards for severance pay in the event of layoffs. Book leave.

Are you guys the woke police? 

No. We are trying to get people paid fairly and protect their benefits. 

How will management try and block the union?

Similar to any election: a lot of propagandizing. To get slightly more specific, they’ll probably portray a union as something that will shackle reporters and organizers as a bunch of no-fun nudniks. But a union is about a newsroom collectively making its voice heard about the terms of its employment -- so that we can all look out for each other in matters of pay and benefits.

Is it true management won't be able to give out raises during the status quo period? 

No. Nothing in labor law would prohibit giving raises. During the status quo period, management must inform the bargaining committee every time it seeks to give an employee a raise and the bargaining committee must approve it. If we are fighting for fair wages and monetary recognition of a job well done, why would a bargaining committee ever not approve a raise? Management will always come up with reasons not to give raises, which they do already. The difference with a union is you'll have a voice to fight back and challenge supervisors who might be willfully misconstruing labor laws.

When are you going to go public?

When we have a supermajority of the newsroom signed on as part of the union. We can’t do it without you.