Bloomberg Industry union: Management won’t bargain on return to work

The union that represents Bloomberg Industry Group journalists sent out the following on Wednesday afternoon:

Dear Colleagues,

We’d like to update you on the labor-management committee meeting held this afternoon. Maya Earls and Katie Devinney attended with me for the Guild. Christina Correira, Peter Sherman, and Demedre Heulett were there for management.

The Guild asked that BBNA set a date to come to the bargaining table to discuss remote work options going forward if it won’t pause its announced July 26 mandatory return plans until full bargaining for the next labor contract this fall.

Management refused to bargain, arguing that our collective bargaining agreement is a “fully zippered contract” that doesn’t require the employer to agree to mid-term modification.

We believe this is a deeply misguided position that fails to appreciate the extraordinary changes INDG and its employees have undergone during the pandemic, the deep resilience of our workforce, and the new realities of the knowledge-driven economy we all inhabit today.

INDG’s rush to require employees to return to the office ignores more than a year of evidence that employees can do their jobs working remotely and do them well.

We will be holding a meeting for all unit employees tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the outcomes of today’s discussions and next steps to protect remote work options as INDG moves toward what it described today as a “hybrid environment.”

In solidarity,

Jason Albright

Unit Chair