Salon Ratifies Second Contract with Writers Guild of America, East
NEW YORK, NY (January 20, 2022) – Salon’s 16-member bargaining unit unanimously ratified their second collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE).
The Salon Bargaining Committee said, “We worked hard and in good faith with management to secure a contract that will vastly improve life for current and future employees. We believe the contract will not only lift the standards at Salon, but in the industry. Raising the salary floor and pay equity were high priorities for us, and now no WGAE member will make under ,000. and our minimums for all titles better reflect the quality of our work and the dedication of our colleagues.”
In the new three-year contract, 40% of the unit will receive a salary increase of $10,000 or more. Additional highlights from the contract, which was retroactive to January 1, 2022, include:
- A minimum starting salary of $60,000 with increases to the minimums for each job title.
- Annual salary increase of 5% in 2022, and 3% in 2023 and 2024;
- Senior Editors added to the bargaining unit;
- Longevity bonuses in 2023 for all employees, with people working at Salon for under 5 years receiving $500, 5 to 10 years experience receiving $1,000, and people with ten or more years of experience receiving $1,500;
- A minimum of 8-weeks severance upon layoff for 0-3 years experience and a 10 week minimum for 3+ years experience, with fully paid COBRA for length of severance;
- 3-months unpaid professional leave with benefits;
- 16-weeks paid parental leave;
- Successor language in event the company is sold;
- Strong diversity language and establishment of a funded diversity committee;
- Professional development pool of $10,000 per year;
- Comp time and limits on excessive workload;
- Strengthened support to combat online harassment and employer paid “Delete Me” service;
- No non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in harassment/discrimination settlements;
- Contractors must move to employee status if retained more than six months.
Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, said, “Guild members at Salon won a second collective bargaining agreement that includes significant gains in pay, benefits, and parental leave; that ends NDAs; and that expands the company’s commitment to diversity. With a strong union and an engaged membership, we can continue to build our members’ gains, whether we’re negotiating a first, second, or thirtieth contract.
The Writers Guild of America, East represents nearly 7,000 writers in film, television, news (broadcast and digital), and podcasts. In addition to Salon, the WGAE represents newsrooms at 1010 WINS, ABC News, Audacy (WCBS-AM, WBBM-AM, KNX-AM), Bustle Digital Group, CBS News, CBSN, Chalkbeat, Committee to Protect Journalists, The Dodo, Fast Company, Fox 5 WNYW-TV, FT Specialist, Future plc, Gizmodo Media Group, Hearst Magazines, HuffPost, Inc., The Intercept, Jewish Currents, MSNBC, MTV News, NowThis, Onion Inc., Refinery29, Slate, Talking Points Memo, Thirteen Productions (Thirteen/WNET), Thrillist, VICE, Vox Media and WBBM-CBS 2 News.
ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, news and new media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.
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