What We’re Up To
Second Contract
The Onion Inc. bargaining unit ratified their second union contract (their first CBA after acquisition by G/O Media) in February 2021.
Acquisition and G/O Media
In April 2019, private equity firm Great Hill Partners acquired Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion from Univision. The sale was completed on April 8, 2019, and Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion were combined into a new company called G/O Media.
First Contract
The creative staff at Onion Inc. overwhelmingly ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with the WGA East on December 20, 2018.
The two-year contract covers 69 employees and includes annual pay increases, minimum pay grades, strong diversity and anti-harassment language, just cause, union security, editorial independence, intellectual property rights, and an end to permalancers through a provision that states that if someone contracts/fellows/apprentices for Onion Inc. for 12 consecutive months or 18 cumulative months in 24 months, the company must offer them a full-time role.
Read more about the first contract here.
Victory!
The Onion Inc. staff union with the WGA East was voluntarily recognized by management in April 2018. Read the WGA East Comedy/Variety Writers letter of support for the Onion Inc. Union here.
Why We’re Organizing
Read more about the organizing campaign at Onion Inc. here.
Onion Inc. is unionizing with the Writers Guild of America, East. By organizing, we intend to protect the culture and values that make Onion Inc. a singularly great place to work and establish a formal means by which the employees have a collective and meaningful voice in our workplace. We’ve seen the positive effects of unions across digital media newsrooms, especially at our Gizmodo Media Group sister sites, and believe Onion Inc. will similarly benefit.
As we continue to work with Univision and Fusion Media Group, we are unionizing to establish transparency and open communication around the high-level decisions being made that affect Onion Inc. A union will ensure that Onion Inc. remains a place that attracts and retains talented people, upholds opportunities for professional growth, and continues to be the most widely read, most lucrative, and most respected media company that has ever existed in the history of the written word.
Why we’re unionizing:
To have a seat at the table
We believe Onion Inc.’s success begins and ends with its creative staffs, who are responsible for producing the content that sustains the company’s reputation and profitability. We best understand what our departments need to succeed. We must ensure that we are all part of any major decision-making process that affects the company’s organizational structure, editorial practices, or financial outcomes.
To strengthen our culture and maintain editorial independence
We seek to preserve the collaborative spirit and creative integrity of Onion Inc. Maintaining a safe and supportive environment is imperative in facilitating the creation of high-quality work. It is also essential that our creative staffs continue to have independent oversight of the editorial, graphical, and video work they produce, and that this is reflected in the hierarchy of the editorial publications.
To ensure fair wages, hiring practices, consistent benefits, and severance pay
We want to ensure fair compensation for everyone who contributes to the success of Onion Inc., including contractors. This includes a workplace with pay equity, job stability, quality healthcare, overtime compensation, concrete parental leave, and formalized channels for communication with management. We want to prioritize recruitment and retention of people with backgrounds that are often underrepresented in our industry, and hold Univision and Onion Inc. management accountable in adhering to our values.