FAQ

Why are Education Week employees forming a union?

Many EdWeek employees say their job is the most fulfilling and meaningful of their career, and that their colleagues are the best they’ve had the privilege to work with. But we believe our company could be even stronger with a union.

For instance, while the company has made key investments in pay equity over the past couple years, some employees still struggle to meet ends meet. An EdWeek union would seek to secure compensation and benefits for employees that aligns with industry standards, keeps pace with inflation, and matches their invaluable contributions to our highly successful organization. 

Education Week also must do better recruiting and retaining employees from underrepresented backgrounds, including communities of color. Over the past year, the company has invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts—but there's still a long way to go. There are currently zero Black reporters or editors in the EdWeek newsroom, which is unacceptable. As a union, we would want to work alongside management to establish stronger processes to recruit diverse candidates and maintain a more representative workforce. 

In short, we want everyone to be paid fairly, to have a stronger voice in discussions that affect their lives and careers, and to have equal opportunity to grow and thrive. We hope that Education Week management will voluntarily recognize our union and work on these goals together.

How common are unions for newsrooms, especially nonprofit ones like EdWeek?

Unionization is growing among media outlets of all kinds, including regional papers, national dailies, and online publications. Among education publications, employees at the nonprofit Chalkbeat and the for-profit Inside Higher Ed have recently formed unions. The Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild also includes nonprofit news organizations like the Center for Public Integrity, In These Times, and The American Prospect. 

What union would EdWeek be part of? 

We are organizing with Washington-Baltimore News Guild, a local of the NewsGuild-CWA which includes more than 2,500 workers at news, nonprofits, and labor organizations. Other notable units include the Washington Post, Bloomberg Industry Group, AFL-CIO, the Baltimore Sun, and Inside Higher Ed. You can learn more about WBNG here.