NBC Digital NewsGuild, which represents about 300 workers, will vote to ratify the agreement in the coming days. If ratified, this will be the first contract for the bargaining unit, which was certified in 2019.
“This contract is a huge step forward for journalists at NBC News,” said Tate James, documentary video editor and unit chair. “We will now have the job security essential to fighting for transparency and accountability without fear.”
The contract is the culmination of a nearly five-year fight, during which employees engaged in numerous public actions, including a one-day strike in 2023, to protest the company’s repeated violations of federal labor law. Guild members protested across New York City, dogging NBC corporate executives and events, and even projected pro-union messages on the façade of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Highlights of the deal include:
- Immediate pay increases of as much as 17%, with 9% minimum over the life of the 3-year deal
- First-ever salary minimums, with a floor of $65,000 by last year of the agreement
- Strong new protections around job security and layoffs, including rehire rights and just cause without exception
- An end to forced arbitration in cases of discrimination and harassment
- Extended workday and weekend pay policies that provide compensation for extra work
“NYGuild members contribute to the reach and value of NBC News every day,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “I’m glad that NBC is finally recognizing their essential work by agreeing to a contract that enshrines the wages and workplace protections they deserve.”
