Election

Our election will be hybrid. If you work on campus—even if in a building other than 1427 and even if only occasionally—you will need to vote in-person. If you work fully remotely, you will receive a mail-in ballot from the NLRB. The university made these assignments, and we cannot change them.

IN-OFFICE VOTING will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from noon to 1:00 p.m. on both Tuesday, June 9, and Wednesday, June 10.

• The NLRB does not allow absentee ballots for those who can’t make it due to illness or planned PTO. Please make every effort to be present to vote in one of the sessions. 

MAIL-IN BALLOTS will be sent to voters on June 9 and must be received by the NLRB regional office by July 7. Let us know immediately if you do not receive your ballot by June 14.

• Make sure that your address is accurate in Workday! 

You will have received the university’s email about “professional” and “nonprofessional” employees. The university wants you to think that the NLRB forced such a distinction upon us, but it was in fact the university who stipulated it. 

Their classifications are completely arbitrary (e.g., two employees with the same title, start date, and qualifications were classified differently). We know that this is nothing more than an anti-union tactic: They believe that they can divide us, but we are bound together. They believe that they can bait us into delaying the election, but we don’t need them to tell us that we are all publishing professionals. These classifications will have no bearing whatsoever once we’re certified and are not related to any of your other job details (standing, benefits, etc.).

We are ready to vote YES—TWICE if we have to!

How does this affect voting?

• Some people will have two questions on their ballot. “Professional” employees will be asked whether they want to be included in the same unit as “nonprofessional” employees. Then, we will all be asked whether we want the Chicago News Guild to be our exclusive bargaining representative (i.e., whether we want a union). Vote YES to both questions. Remember: We are stronger together!
• The votes will be counted in two waves. If a simple majority of the “professional” employees vote YES to being included with “nonprofessional” employees, then all ballots will be counted together to settle the matter of representation: We’ll have one big union (or no union at all). If a simple majority of the “professional” employees do not vote YES to the first question, then answers to the second question will be counted separately. Each classification would then have to reach their own simple majorities to form separate, smaller unions. Vote YES to both questions. Remember: We are stronger together!