Just a day after CommonWealth Beacon employees announced they were forming a union, the board of MassINC — the nonprofit that publishes CommonWealth — has voted in favor of recognition.
“We respect the rights of members of the newsroom to unionize and we look forward to working with the CommonWealth Beacon Guild and the entire CommonWealth Beacon team to build an impactful and sustainable public service news organization,” according to a statement by Joe Kriesberg, MassINC’s CEO, who serves as CommonWealth’s publisher.
CommonWealth Beacon is a nonprofit digital news outlet that was launched in 1996 as a quarterly print magazine and that now publishes news about state politics and public policy on a daily basis.
“This is the exact outcome for which we were hoping,” according to Chris Lisinski, a senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon, who was quoted in a release issued by the union. “We’re honored that MassINC recognizes the hard work of our newsroom and our desire to collectively bargain to make it an even better place, both for ourselves and for all future employees.”
Disclosure: I’m a member of the CommonWealth editorial advisory board, which is separate from the MassINC board of directors. MassINC, the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, is a policy organization that focuses on quality-of-life issues including public education, transportation and so-called gateway cities.
I’m republishing two statements below, the first from MassINC management, the second from the CommonWealth Beacon Guild.
MassINC Management Officially Recognizes Formation of Union by CommonWealth Beacon Reporters
Decision follows vote of support from Board of Directors
Following a vote by the MassINC Board of Directors, MassINC management officially recognized the formation of the CommonWealth Beacon Guild, a union representing four reporters and one digital producer. Commonwealth Beacon (CWB) is the nonprofit news arm of MassINC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization working to make Massachusetts a place of civic vitality and inclusive economic opportunity. In addition to a nonprofit news outlet, MassINC also includes the MassINC Policy Center, and a subsidiary company, The MassINC Polling Group.
On Wednesday morning, CommonWealth Beacon staff met with MassINC management to inform them of their intention to unionize with plans to publicize this the next day. Since that meeting on Wednesday, management shared this information with each of its 26 Board members, which resulted in a vote by the Board to recognize the CommonWealth Guild less than 48 hours after learning about the desire to join a union.
“We respect the rights of members of the newsroom to unionize and we look forward to working with the CommonWealth Beacon Guild and the entire CommonWealth Beacon team to build an impactful and sustainable public service news organization,” said Joe Kriesberg, MassINC’s CEO. “We remain committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and teamwork where all employees, including our journalists, our business and operations team, and our management, feel valued, supported, and excited to come to work every day.”
“CommonWealth Beacon is a core part of our organization and we appreciate the outstanding work done by our team of talented reporters. Their work covers complex policy issues facing Massachusetts and makes a major contribution to the civic health of our state,” said Eileen O’Connor, MassINC Board Chair.
Over the past four years, at a time when many news organizations have been shrinking, CommonWealth Beacon has made extraordinary progress in growing into a thriving news outlet. It has grown from a team of three journalists to a team that, starting November 2, will have 7.5 full-time equivalents in the newsroom supported by a business team that includes the CEO, COO, and the Senior Director of Development. CommonWealth Beacon is funded by the generosity of more than 600 members and several prominent foundations, including the Boston Foundation, the Barr Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, the Commonwealth Children’s Fund, Report Local, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and most recently Arnold Ventures. A full list of supporters and the most recent audit can be found on the website.
“The news industry faces many challenges across the country as the old business models fade away and news ones are being created. We are excited to be part of a national movement in non-profit journalism and welcome the CommonWealth Guild as a partner in sustaining and growing CommonWealth Beacon in the years to come,” said O’Connor.
Next is the statement from the CommonWealth Beacon Guild.
Members of the CommonWealth Beacon Guild are thrilled that MassINC, the nonprofit that publishes CommonWealth Beacon, announced that it has officially awarded the union voluntary recognition.
Management informed the Guild on Friday morning following a vote by MassINC’s Board of Directors. All parties involved can now move forward to bargaining over a fair contract in a spirit of collaboration and good faith.
“This is the exact outcome for which we were hoping,” said Chris Lisinski, a senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon. “We’re honored that MassINC recognizes the hard work of our newsroom and our desire to collectively bargain to make it an even better place, both for ourselves and for all future employees.” From regional papers to small but mighty newsrooms, the communities we all serve are stronger when journalists have workplace protections and a seat at the table. The CommonWealth Beacon Guild joins peers across New England as part of The Providence Newspaper Guild, part of NewsGuild-CWA.
The four reporters and one digital producer who came together to launch the Guild are passionate about their mission to educate, inform, and uplift Massachusetts readers. We will work to ensure CommonWealth Beacon continues to excel, and remains a place where employees can enjoy stability and longevity, as it grows.
“We respect the rights of members of the newsroom to unionize and we look forward to working with the CommonWealth Beacon Guild and the entire CommonWealth Beacon team to build an impactful and sustainable public service news organization, ” Joe Kriesberg, MassINC’s CEO, said in the company’s announcement that it awarded voluntary recognition. “We remain committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and teamwork where all employees, including our journalists, our business and operations team, and our management, feel valued, supported, and excited to come to work every day.
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