WGA East Members at Chalkbeat, Votebeat and Healthbeat Unanimously Ratify New Contract with Civic News Company

NEW YORK (July 16, 2024) – Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at Civic News Company unanimously ratified their second collective bargaining agreement.

The 29-member Civic News Company bargaining unit includes the reporters, story editors, engagement team, and visuals staff at Chalkbeat, Votebeat and the newly-announced Healthbeat. 

The unit ratified a 2.5-year contract that includes major improvements in paid sick leave, increases to salary minimums and improvements to short-term disability. 

Deal highlights include:

• 5 days of sick leave per year (previously no dedicated sick leave) in addition to accrued PTO;
• A minimum starting salary of $63,500 in major markets and $62,000 in other locations;
• Annual minimum salary increases of 3.5% in the first year of the contract, and 3% in the second and third year of the contract;
• The Company will make an employee’s salary whole for up to six weeks of short-term disability leave;
• Two weeks of severance per year of service with a minimum of 10 weeks and a maximum of 22, up from a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 20 weeks;
• 18 weeks fully paid parental leave, up from 14 weeks;
• Employees can decline to have their byline used for content where AI was used in “a substantial capacity.” The company cannot use a person’s voice or likeness to create new audio or visual content;
• Codified monthly internet reimbursement for remote work;
• The Company will work with DEIB committee to establish best practices for supporting LGBTQIA employees. The Company will do a compensation study in the next year that includes a pay equity analysis along race, gender and identity lines. 

“We are grateful that Civic News Company (CNC) recognized some of the struggles our unit members have faced and worked with us to make improvements to our second union contract. We believe it’s a step towards making CNC an even better place to work for all,” said Chalkbeat reporter and member of the bargaining team, Yesenia Robles.

“The journalists at Chalkbeat and Votebeat worked so hard to get this and to continue to make CNC a better place to work for all,” said Votebeat reporter and member of the bargaining team, Natalia Contreras.

WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen added, “We’re proud to see our members at Chalkbeat, Votebeat and Healthbeat win a strong new contract. These members create essential news resources across vital topics, and they deserve union protections that reflect how important their work is.” 

Chalkbeat is a mission-driven nonprofit news organization committed to the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization committed to reporting the nuanced truth about elections and voting in the United States, and Healthbeat is scheduled to launch this summer with a focus on local coverage of public health. 

In addition to Civic News Company the WGA East’s Online Media Sector includes the Bustle Digital Group, Committee to Protect Journalists, CNET, Fast Company, Future PLC, Gizmodo Media Group, Hearst Magazines, HuffPost, Inc., Jewish Currents, NowThis, Onion Inc., Refinery29, Salon, Slate, Talking Points Media, The Dodo, The Intercept, Thrillist, VICE and Vox Media. 

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST

The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO, is a labor union of more than 7,500 members working in film, television, news, podcasts and online 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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