As digital media companies brace for change, unions try to cushion the blow

Which is exactly the scenario union advocates spelled out as they organized digital publishers including Vice, Gizmodo Media Group and Recode parent company Vox Media over the last few years.

That means that in the case of downsizing, merger or sale, management is obligated to negotiate in good faith with members of the unions bargaining committee to minimize the impact to workers.

That committee is typically comprised of a group of unionized employees at the company who negotiate on behalf of their colleagues.

A representative from either Writers Guild of America East or NewsGuild, the two largest national unions representing digital media companies, can help workers in negotiations.

If thats the case, then theres a standard procedure for what happens when a company has to let go of employees, sell or restructure.

For example, in the case of layoffs, the contract often predetermines conditions such as how many weeks or months of severance employees will get and how long theyre covered by health insurance.

If management has recognized a union but hasnt yet to agree to a contract, then the negotiations can get more complicated because management has to make a one-off deal with the bargaining committee.

Thats what happened at millennial-focused digital news publication Mic, which sold to Bustle Digital Group last month and whose union has been through weeks of bargaining for things like severance pay. Similarly, Vox Medias bargaining committee has made negotiations with management over terms of layoffs, even though the union does not yet have a contract in place with the company.

Some media founders, who say theyre supportive of unions in general, have publicly shared why they disagree with it at their own companies.

Original article