The Center for Public Integrity and the union representing its newsroom and business-side staff today have signed the nonprofit organization’s second collective bargaining agreement.
This unanimous ratification reaffirms a shared commitment by the union and Public Integrity to uphold the principles of fairness, inclusivity and transparency — values that guided our first collective bargaining agreement in 2020 and are consistently championed by the organization in its investigative reporting.
“At the start of this process, our members told the board and leadership that they viewed these negotiations as an opportunity to put our values into practice,” said Joe Yerardi, unit chair and a member of the union’s bargaining committee. “At the end of it, we’re pleased to say this contract does just that.”
“This contract is an example of the solidarity exhibited by management and staff at the Center for Public Integrity. United, we have carved a route that duly acknowledges the worth and varied backgrounds of our staff members,” said Paul Cheung, Public Integrity CEO. “The terms of this agreement mark our continued journey towards establishing a more inclusive and fair work environment.”
The three-year contract brings forth innovative changes, such as a compressed, four-day workweek during the summer, collaborative development of a candidate evaluation system for new hires and salary adjustments for current employees based on this system.
Other notable changes include:
- salary increases for all union employees, starting at 4% in 2023 and rising to 4.75% in 2024 and 5.5% in 2025
- one-time bonuses for union members who use their proficiency in non-English languages for work
- improved severance benefits comprising two weeks’ salary per year and three months of COBRA health insurance coverage with CPI covering premiums for employees, partners and children.
Staff of Public Integrity organized with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (WBNG) in November 2018. WBNG is a local of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America.
Members of the Center for Public Integrity Union bargaining committee are Alexia Fernández Campbell, Amy DiPierro, April Simpson, Corey Mitchell, Evan Yeats, Joe Yerardi, Kristian Hernández, Maya Srikrishnan and Pratheek Rebala.
Center for Public Integrity’s negotiation team was led by Chief of Staff and Operations Jin Ding; CEO Paul Cheung; Director of Finance and Operations Kris Holmes; James & Hoffman, P.C. attorney Kathy L. Krieger; and Marcum LLP human resources directors Cynthia White and Zena Curry.