State from Business Insider union on layoffs

We are appalled and angry that Business Insider has chosen, like too many other newsrooms recently, to lay off 22 of our talented members as well as many of our non-union colleagues.

Last summer, as we faced a similar round of layoffs, our members fought for and won language in our contract to protect us in the event the company did this again.

We’re watching management closely to ensure they don’t violate any of our contractual rights; we are ready to act if they do.

“From the timing of today’s announcement — not even a month after our layoff moratorium expired — it’s clear that management has been eager to lay more of us off,” said Emma LeGault, unit chair for Insider Union and a senior copy editor for Business Insider.

We’re especially disgusted that management has chosen to do this while Axel Springer is reportedly able to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars of dividends to their investors.

These news organizations’ vile corporate greed and union-busting tactics are no match for the  solidarity within our union, across our industry, and throughout the labor movement.

Well-resourced journalism is vital for workers everywhere.

As always, we will fight for our members, in service of our collective vision of a better workplace and industry.