FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2022

CONTACT: Katie Gillespie, (206) 669-3562, guild37082@gmail.com

Grist Union voluntarily recognized by Grist management

SEATTLE, Wash. — Employees at Grist on Thursday received voluntary recognition of a staff union represented by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, the Seattle-based local of The NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America. Grist is a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories about climate solutions and a just future.

The bargaining unit consists of 36 editorial, engagement, and audience employees who span the organization. A neutral third party confirmed that more than 90 percent of employees signed union cards indicating their desire to organize.

This is a great step forward and a fabulous opportunity for Grist and the nascent Grist Union, said Clayton Aldern, senior data reporter and member of the organizing committee. With their swift recognition of our union, Grist management demonstrated respect for this effort and for staff wellbeing writ large.

Grist Union joins a roster of newly recognized media unions. In 2021, the NewsGuild broke its organizing record, with 1,542 journalists from 26 workplaces joining up. When including non-media workplaces, the NewsGuild organized more than 2,000 workers.

We’re lucky to work at an organization that values its employees, said Tory Stephens, climate fiction creative manager and organizing committee member. Unit recognition is a great way for Grist to put even more of its money where its mouth is.

Workers at Grist say the organization has already invested heavily in staff in recent years, including in pay equity and diversity and inclusion efforts. In a mission statement released last week, staff called for greater agency in determining benefits and working conditions like these.

We look forward to working with Grist management and the board at the bargaining table, united in our shared commitment to making our organization a widely respected voice on climate change, a magnet for talent in its field, and an institution that all of its employees can be proud of, staffers said in the mission statement.

Workers at Grist are available for comment at grist.union@gmail.com. More information can be found at https://gristunion.com.

About The NewsGuild-CWA

The NewsGuild’s members include journalists, employees at publishing houses, and the staff of nonprofit organizations. The NewsGuild is a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents workers in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, and other fields. The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA #37082, represents about 250 workers at news organizations including The Seattle Times, Crosscut, Idaho Statesman, Tacoma News Tribune and more.

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