The Huffington Post Agrees To Voluntarily Recognize Writers Guild of America, East
NEW YORK, NY (January 14, 2016) – The Huffington Post’s management today agreed to voluntarily recognize the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) as the collective bargaining representative of its editorial staff.
Arianna Huffington, in an email to staff said: “I am delighted to let you know that we have reached an agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) to proceed to voluntary recognition by counting signed union cards. Assuming a majority, we will recognize the union. We look forward to a great relationship with our union as we work together to take The Huffington Post to new heights across the world.”
The Huffington Post’s organizing committee said: “We are pleased to announce the recognition of our union. The unionization of The Huffington Post’s editorial staff is another example of our newsroom practicing what we preach. Our campaign to win union recognition has united us in many ways. We’ve come together as a community across regions, departments, and positions to work towards a shared vision. The challenges and many steps in this process have brought us together and reaffirmed our commitment to bargaining a strong and fair contract. As we’ve stated from the very beginning, we’re proud to call ourselves HuffPosters, which is why we look forward to continuing to advocate for each other, our workplace, and our profession.”
Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, added: “The Huffington Post establishes a critical mass of support for collective bargaining in digital media. This movement empowers the people who write, edit and produce content to build sustainable careers doing work they care about. As digital media continues to transform the way information is shared and stories are told, it is essential that content creators have their concerns about the workplace – and about the work itself – be heard and addressed by management. The WGAE is very pleased to work closely with The Huffington Post’s dedicated and talented editorial staff at this historic moment.”
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