Staff working at Guardian US will unionise under the News Media Guild after a vote was passed unanimously in favour of collective representation on Wednesday. The vote was recognised by Guardian News & Media LLC, according to a spokeswoman for Guardian US.
“We are happy to voluntarily recognise the News Media Guild and look forward to working constructively, in best Guardian tradition, with the Guardian US editorial staff who have voted in favor of collective representation.”
A spokeswoman for the Guardian US chapter of the News Media Guild added that it was “a great day” for staff. A statement released by the chapter said: “We are proud to announce that the editorial staff of Guardian US have voted unanimously in favour of collective representation under the auspices of the News Media Guild, following a ballot which was conducted independently by the American Arbitration Association.
“Our discussions with Guardian management have been conducted in a constructive manner and we’re confident we can all achieve our stated goal – a long-term, sustainable future for the Guardian and its quality journalism. Together we look forward to continuing to enhance the Guardian’s reputation as one of the most read, most respected and most trusted news organisations in the US.”
Guardian US launched in September 2011 and has won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer prize, for its coverage of Edward Snowden’s disclosures about mass surveillance by US intelligence agencies.
The development, which was first reported by the Huffington Post, follows a series of reports that newsrooms in the US are unionising. In June, Gawker Media editorial employees voted to be represented by the Writers Guild of America, while in July editorial staff working of Salon Media Group announced that they intend to join the same union.
