Across publishing houses both modest and large, this week marks another milestone for labor organizing within the industry.
By this afternoon, the University of Chicago Press Workers Guild (UCPWG) secured victory in its union election, with a majority of the group’s 134 members voting to align with the Chicago News Guild.
In this clear win, 89% of workers voted in favor of representation, paving the way for what could be the first labor union in the press’s 130-year history.
And there’s more good news. This push is part of a nationwide effort to advance organizing in the publishing sector, a movement that’s been delivering sizable gains. Yesterday, employees at the Hachette Book Group also voted (388 to 130) to unionize with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
This milestone is historic in its scale. According to Publishers Weekly, the Hachette Workers Coalition—i.e., the coalition behind the union drive—speaks for “600 union-eligible remote and NYC-based staff,” making it the largest union in trade publishing history.
What lies ahead for these workers? Additional elections and the negotiation of their first collective bargaining agreement.
As Publishers Weekly notes, the Hachette Workers Coalition (HWC) will soon “elect leadership and prepare to negotiate its first collective bargaining agreement.” While the momentum is strong, the road forward could prove challenging, especially since management has mounted a vigorous anti-union campaign to date.
Even though there is more work to come in Chicago, the mood remains bright for the moment. Meredith Nini, the senior promotions manager at the University of Chicago Press, spoke with enthusiasm about the next phase in a public statement.
“I’m immensely proud of my fellow workers for their hard work and dedication to winning this election,” Nini told reporters. “These election results show that Press workers are bound together with a common mission. We look forward to bargaining for a contract that ensures a sustainable and equitable workplace for years to come.”
“Big press or small, two words stay with us: solidarity forever!”
In the meantime, you can read more about the UCPWG mission here. And the Hachette Workers Coalition here.
