ProPublica’s Unionized Staff Vote to Authorize Strike: ‘We Are Ready to Walk Off the Job’

The unionized staff at ProPublica voted to authorize a strike Thursday evening, declaring they were “ready to walk off the job” in order to send a message to management.

The NewsGuild of New York-represented workers at the nonprofit newsroom noted in their Thursday update that they plan to take action, citing “management’s persistent refusal to agree to a fair contract that includes industry-standard ‘just cause’ job security protections and guardrails around the use of AI” as a reason for the looming strike. It’s said 92% voted yes to the strike, with 99% of the union having participated.

Per the union, which represents around 150 journalists, videographers, development professionals, copy editors and others, the vote to authorize the strike followed bargaining for a first contract that’s lasted more than two years.

ProPublica describes itself as “an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force,” though, its unionized staffers suggest management has “consistently refused” to agree to standard contract provisions. Representatives for ProPublica’s leadership did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

According to the union, leadership has refused during active bargaining “to agree to standard job security protections and seniority provisions in layoffs,” as well as allegedly “rejected any restrictions on replacing jobs with AI.” They also claim that management denied wage increases for workers that would “keep up with the rising cost of living.”

“We are ready to walk off the job to show management that their refusal to agree to basic protections will not be tolerated,” Agnel Philip, a data reporter and unit chair of ProPublica Guild, said in a statement, “and that we will not accept anything less than a fair contract.”

The vote to strike comes mere weeks after the guild conducted a practice picket outside the New York City headquarters belonging to the nonprofit newsroom. There were also practice pickets that occurred outside company offices located in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Austin.

Following word of the vote, Susan DeCarava, president of the NewsGuild of New York, voiced her support for the ProPublica Guild, noting the union “stands united in supporting [their] efforts to win a fair and just contract, including the possibility of a strike.”

She added: “We’re ready to hit the picket line. It’s up to management to decide what happens next.”

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