4 ways to support Insider Union strikers as they fight for better healthcare, better wages, and a better Insider
Insider Union members picketed outside of One Liberty Plaza after going on a ULP strike on Friday. Irene Kim
Insider’s union of nearly 300 members is striking as of Friday, June 2.
This decision comes after an illegal change to employee health insurance at the start of the year and layoffs in April.
Here’s what you can do to support Insider Union members during the strike.
In November 2022, Insider illegally changed Insider Union members' health insurance unilaterally, forcing many members to spend more on healthcare while significantly reducing coverage. Though a claim was filed with a federal labor relations board — and merit was found in that claim — it still has not been resolved with management.
But that’s not all. There are other major areas of the Insider Union’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that management has not met us on, including reducing increased healthcare costs and raising the salary minimums for the union’s lowest-paid members.
For all of these reasons, the unit of nearly 300 members has decided to strike with the hopes of securing a fair contract. There are a few ways you can support Insider Union members on strike, including not crossing the digital picket line and donating to our strike fund.
Don’t cross the “click-it line” — avoid clicking on Insider articles, videos, newsletters, or any Insider content
Striking means that Insider Union is withholding its labor, so we’re asking that you also withhold your clicks! While we all agree that Insider content is great, please refrain from sharing or clicking on any content until the strike ends. The union wants management to recognize the value we all bring to the site and what it means not to have our stories on Insider.
Also, know that just because you see a union member’s stories being published after the strike began, it does not mean they’re not striking. Some stories are written and then scheduled ahead of time, and older content may be re-shared on Insider’s website as they try to chase revenue while 250 employees are on strike.
Donate to the Insider Union hardship fund to help financially assist employees on strike
All union members participating in a strike are forgoing their company pay during this time. Insider has made it clear in emails about the strike that all employees participating in the strike will go without pay for those days as an act of union-busting. Additionally, they've instructed union members on how to “scab” — or cross the picket line — and to inform management that they're still working in order to be paid.
As a newsroom filled with journalists from different financial backgrounds, many Insider employees may be faced with a choice between fighting for the contract they and their colleagues deserve or paying their bills. (Fun fact: better, fairer wages and higher salary floors are just two things we hope to implement in our final contract!)
While there is a strike fund provided by the NYGuild and our parent union the Communication Workers of America (CWA), many Insider Union members will need additional funds to help cover costs they would otherwise not be able to afford while going without a paycheck. You can donate to the strike fund here.
Share your support by sharing our mission on Instagram, Twitter, and more
There are a few ways you can show your support for Insider Union as we are on strike.
For example, you can tweet @thisisinsider or members of Insider’s management. You can reach out to Insider global editor-in-chief Nich Carlson (@nichcarlson), Insider CEO Henry Blodget (@hblodget), and Insider president Barbara Peng (@BLPeng) to share your support for Insider Union’s mission to reach a fair contract that includes wages that reflect our value as a newsroom and affordable healthcare, and call on them to settle our Unfair Labor Practice claim.
You can also follow @InsiderUnion on Twitter and Instagram for the latest strike updates, share/retweet those posts with your social circles, and use the hashtags #insiderstrike, #insideronstrike, and #businessoutsider.
Join the Insider Union on the picket line — and don’t forget your sign
We’ll be picketing outside the Insider office in New York. Feel free to make a sign, bring a friend (or your dog!) and come on down — just don’t forget a water bottle and some sunscreen. You can follow @InsiderUnion on Twitter and Instagram for the latest strike updates on how to join our in-person picket line.
Business Outsider is a strike publication of Insider Union which is a unit of The NewsGuild of New York.
Follow our Twitter for updates on the strike, and if you enjoyed this content and would like to throw in some cash for our members who are losing wages every day that we strike for a fair contract, feel free to visit our hardship fundraiser here. Wanna help us tell the boss to reach a deal? Let Nich Carlson and Henry Blodget know you support us by sending a letter.