TheRoot.com Employees Unanimously Decide to Unionize with the WGA East

New York, NY (October 26, 2016) – Today, the editorial staff
of TheRoot.com unanimously requested the employer to voluntarily recognize the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) as their collective bargaining representative.  They are the seventh digital media outlet to unionize with the WGAE.

TheRoot.com is a leading daily news and analysis website focused on the African American experience. TheRoot.com was founded in 2008 by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Donald E. Graham, through The Slate Group.  In 2015, the site was sold to Univision Communications.

TheRoot.com’s organizing committee provided the following statement:

“This is not a declaration of war. We love The Root. It was the great James Baldwin, who once said, ‘I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.’ We would like to consider this public statement the beginning of a continual dialogue in which we all work together to make the organization better. We believe through transparent practices, and continuous communication we will create a harmonious and productive work environment for all.” See the full committee statement here.

Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, added:

“Like the editorial employees who are unionizing with the WGAE, we love The Root.  We respect and cherish its unique voice, and the people who create that voice through the stories they craft.  We are pleased and proud to join with them to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that will address their real concerns and will enable them to build sustainable careers doing their important work.”

ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST

The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media and broadcast news. 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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