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We’re excited to announce that, three days after our public announcement, management has chosen to voluntarily recognize our union. We decided to organize because we want a more equitable, accountable, and transparent workplace, and we’re glad the company recognizes our goals.
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The Ringer is unionizing! Read our letter of intent here: digitalwritersunion.org/ring…
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WE HAVE A DEAL!!!
Through the solidarity we’ve built in our union and the support you’ve shown, we reached a tentative agreement that now goes to our full unit for a ratification vote. We can’t wait to share what we’ve won after ratification!
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We’re thrilled to share that The Ringer Union has ratified our new contract with 100% yes votes. Here are some highlights from the new deal:
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Diversity in the newsroom is essential to covering police brutality and systemic racism, including in the worlds of sports and pop culture. The Ringer has a lot of work to do.
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This is our public response to reports that Spotify is in talks to purchase The Ringer:
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It’s been five days since news broke that Spotify may purchase The Ringer. We have not heard from management on this matter.
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In 2019, 86% of speakers on The Ringer Podcast Network were white. We have zero black editors. We have zero black writers assigned full time to the NBA or NFL beats. Our union is currently bargaining for practices to improve our diversity and inclusion.
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Today, we returned to the bargaining table, and were incredibly disappointed to hear that management continues to propose a contract that does not address key issues. Ringer managers persist in presenting salary minimums that are below the pay scale of INTERNS.
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After months of bargaining, we’ve reached a tentative agreement with management to make hiring practices at The Ringer more diverse.
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We're back at the table trying to finalize our first contract. Currently waiting on a response from management.
ALT "You gotta bump those numbers up. Those are rookie numbers"
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During this work stoppage, we wanted to take a moment to highlight one of our biggest outstanding issues: compensation for The Ringer’s hourly employees — a category that includes most of our editorial assistants, copy desk, video producers, and podcast producers.
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UPDATE: We still do not have an agreement because Spotify will not commit to key safeguards against the creep of AI into our work. Our members have fought hard for a fair contract, yet we’re being forced to wait longer on an issue that Spotify dragged their feet on for months.
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At our last bargaining session, the Ringer Union submitted to management the following letter, signed by 98 percent of our unit, on the importance of improving pay and establishing pathways to promotion.
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In our first session of 2021, we won a 40-hour base work week for our hourly and non-exempt employees, and we’ve moved closer to agreement on salary minimums and pathways to promotion.
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Our first bargaining session is today! We're looking forward to getting a fair contract for the talented staff at The Ringer.
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We've spent 12 straight hours at the table and we're ready to finish this. Management bailed. Give 'em hell, @GimletUnion.
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For example, Spotify wants to translate podcasts into other languages (in host’s voices). We believe the consent of the host must be obtained, and a disclaimer outlining the use of AI must be present. Spotify isn’t committing. Our members should control their own voices, period.
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It’s been six days since news broke that Spotify may purchase The Ringer. We have not received any formal response from management on this matter. No memo. No email. No Slack message.
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More than 30 full-time Ringer Union members—including employees who have worked here for years—were paid less than interns last summer. Ringer managers expect us to accept a contract that does not address this issue. It’s unacceptable and offensive to members of our unit.
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It's been seven days since news broke that Spotify may purchase The Ringer. We understand that negotiations are private, but we love our work and our readers, viewers, and listeners. We want to keep doing our jobs, no matter who owns the company.
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Diversity has been one of our unit’s top priorities since we began bargaining eight months ago. As our committee returns to the table tomorrow, we’re hoping to make progress on a number of issues—but especially diversity.
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Management has told us repeatedly that our work makes Spotify a lot of money and is a model for broader company profitability. Yet they’ve resisted offering salaries that reflect this—even though the raises we seek are tiny compared to how much Spotify’s spent on other podcasts.
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Today, we reached a tentative agreement with management to eliminate at-will provisions, mandatory arbitration, and non-compete clauses in our contracts. In future, management will only be able to negotiate non-competes with a limited subset of employees.
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We’re back in bargaining this week, for two days with a federal mediator in the room to help move things along.
We’ve been working for 18 months and want a deal by Friday, and we’re prepared to stay as long as we need to make it happen. We hope management is ready for the same.
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Hello Ringer readers, listeners, and viewers! If you enjoy our work and want us to receive a fair contract before the end of February, click here to send our management a letter showing your support.
actionnetwork.org/letters/su…
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On Wednesday morning, the Ringer Union and the Writers Guild of America East learned that Spotify has purchased The Ringer.
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We just concluded our latest bargaining session without agreeing on any contract provisions. We remain frustrated with the slow pace of these discussions.
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We love working at The Ringer. Across the realms of sports, pop culture, and technology, our reporting and analysis has always championed the rights of talented athletes and creators. A union allows us to embody those values in-house.
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Next up, we’ll be forming a bargaining committee to negotiate over compensation, benefits, diversity, severance, transparency, and creator rights. Your continued public support has been a boon to our cause and will be deeply appreciated as we move forward!
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We appreciate the overwhelming support you all have shown us so far. There are just 15 days until our contract expires. As that gets closer, we’ll be sharing more ways you can show your support as we fight for a fair contract for all our members!
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It's been two weeks since we formally asked Ringer management to address reports of a potential acquisition. They have not done so.
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We’re currently at a standstill on diversity efforts in our conversations at the bargaining table. We’ve been given an array of excuses as to why management cannot commit to more diverse hiring practices, including technical issues and, most recently, privacy concerns.
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We provided management with comprehensive but fair AI language on the first day of bargaining, Dec. 14. We did not hear a meaningful counter that acknowledged any of the union’s most urgent concerns until Feb. 28, the day before our contract expired.
UPDATE: We still do not have an agreement because Spotify will not commit to key safeguards against the creep of AI into our work. Our members have fought hard for a fair contract, yet we’re being forced to wait longer on an issue that Spotify dragged their feet on for months.
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Artificial Intelligence can’t replace the work we do. We’ve made fair proposals to protect our jobs and likenesses, and to make sure the content you love continues to be made by the humans you trust to make it. Ringer and Spotify management won’t commit to any part of that:
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Back at the table for our final scheduled day of bargaining before our contract expires! Members across the unit are as motivated as ever to hold firm and win a fair contract
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A representative staff is crucial for representative coverage. Going forward, we hope management will make firm commitments to increasing the diversity of our staff, particularly our public-facing voices.
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Our first union contract has officially been ratified! More details to come, but you can read more about the deal here: wgaeast.org/gimlet-media-and…
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Hourly employees are unable to file for additional pay until they’ve already logged 50 hours of work — when 40 hours is, and should be, the norm. The Ringer calls its pay set-up a “50-hour guarantee.” But this “guarantee” artificially suppresses overtime pay.
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Two days until expiration and we are back at the table (in person!). There’s incredible solidarity among our unit, and over the coming days we’ll continue to hold firm to secure the best possible contract.
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Bargaining is done for the night, and management still hasn't presented us something sufficient to close this deal. We're holding firm, and we'll be back at the table tomorrow prepared to do whatever it takes to get the fair contract we deserve
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Just passed the eight-hour mark on today's session and we're still working on negotiating our first contract. We still have a long way to go but we're making progress.
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Only seven days until our contract expires! Today, members and organizers were out at @Spotify offices handing out flyers with ways to support our fight for a fair contract
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We want to ensure that everyone responsible for The Ringer’s great content is treated with respect, given equal opportunities for advancement, and paid fairly. Ahead of tonight’s game, we’re asking you to support our fight for a more equitable workplace by sharing this message.
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We secured over $300,000 for members in Year 1 raises. That includes at least $4,500 for everyone under $110K, or an average 6.4% raise for those employees. The new minimum for union employees is $65,000—a big win for our lowest-paid members.
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We’re not asking to influence or negotiate any potential sale. The writers, editors, illustrators, fact checkers, social media team, and video and audio producers of The Ringer are simply asking that our employer inform us on the future of our work.
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We want to thank @WGAEast for their support, and the talented weirdo members of our unit for all of their hard work leading up to our public announcement. Y’all are an absolute unit by all definitions of the term.
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We’ve made common sense proposals to protect peoples’ work, images and likenesses from being recreated or altered using AI without their consent—and if AI is used, we want distinct, obvious disclaimers. We want transparency around the work you consume and love.
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On the strength of our unit’s solidarity, we were able to negotiate a final deal that addressed our highest priorities. Thank you to every reader, viewer, listener, and follower who showed their support and amplified our messages along the way!
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We look forward to collaborating on a brighter future for The Ringer and its employees. The precarity of digital media has made it clear that publications like ours need unions. The company has taken the first step by recognizing ours.
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Our first bargaining session is next week. This absolute unit is pumped to take the first steps toward a fair and equitable contract!
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Thus far, we’ve learned more about the future of our company from news reports than from our own managers. We urge them to demonstrate leadership amid this continued uncertainty.
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One month after our last bargaining session, management came back with only a few changes to their previous proposals. Our unit remains committed to finding equitable solutions to persistent workplace problems, even in the face of such intransigence.
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Today is our first day back at the bargaining table since our company's sale to Spotify was announced. We're excited to be taking further steps toward a fair and equitable contract.
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Throughout negotiations, management has held fast to this needlessly complicated system. We believe that all workers deserve a 40-hour workweek and a contract that protects it, including the ones who make The Ringer possible. #unionsatspotify
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Ahead of our next bargaining session, we’re sharing stories from Ringer staffers about our compensation. Today: how The Ringer restricts employees’ ability to supplement their income, even as it doesn’t guarantee annual increases or reasonable salary floors.
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Three days left until our contract expires. Tomorrow, we head back to the table for one of two scheduled bargaining sessions before expiration. We look forward to seeing management’s counters on key issues—like fair pay and strong severance—that we remain far apart on.
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We're at the bargaining table for our second session today! Today, we hear management’s counter-proposals for the non-economic portion of our contract and start negotiations.
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We're thrilled that our union has sparked a larger conversation about labor rights and organizing. You can read our reasons for forming a union here: digitalwritersunion.org/ring…
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We hope that The Ringer will recognize our union so we can begin the collective-bargaining process and start working toward a more equitable company.
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In honor of Labor Day, we’d like to talk about why the Ringer needs to implement base salary minimums, yearly across-the-board salary increases, and pathways to promotion. You can read our letter on why these items are so important here:
At our last bargaining session, the Ringer Union submitted to management the following letter, signed by 98 percent of our unit, on the importance of improving pay and establishing pathways to promotion.
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We’re headed back to the bargaining table tomorrow. Today, we’d like to discuss an issue that’s been a priority throughout this process, but especially of late: talent retention.
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Long time no talk! Last week, we headed back to the bargaining table with Spotify and The Ringer. We’re looking forward to winning a fair contract for all our members over the coming weeks ✊
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It's nearing 11 pm PT and we're still here, waiting on management to make an offer good enough to send us home
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This is great news to wake up to! We're back at the table in a couple hours, and ideally we'll be sharing a picture like this soon.
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On Artificial Intelligence: The company can’t use AI to recreate employees’ voice or likeness without their permission. Pods translated into other languages using AI will receive disclaimers upon request. Employees can decline bylines on content with substantial AI contributions.
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This week, we’re sharing stories from current & former Ringer staffers about the importance of fair wages. It’s not only difficult to pay for living essentials on an entry-level Ringer salary—it’s also difficult to secure a raise no matter how well the employee or company does.
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We met with management today and we’re hopeful that we will make more progress at our next bargaining session in July.
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In one case, management even denied an employee’s request to take part-time work that is completely unrelated to their job at The Ringer.
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We, the Ringer editorial staff, are proud to work at such a creative digital media company. We want to ensure that its promising future is a sustainable one that values the contributions of all of its employees.
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We’ve been bargaining with Ringer management, and more recently @Spotify, since October of 2019. We’re closer to a contract than we were at the beginning, but not as close as we’d like to be.
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We’ve heard a lot from management in recent days about potential improvements to our workplace, particularly The Ringer's approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity. We hope they take this opportunity to fulfill those promises.
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We wrapped up another round of back to back all day bargaining last week. While we’ve made notable progress in some areas, we remain far apart on key issues that our union values like economics, IP, and artificial intelligence.
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We remain eager to bargain and anticipate management's proposals at our next session in December. We urge The Ringer and Spotify to work with us in coming to a collective bargaining agreement.
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In an industry hit so hard and so often by job cuts, we also increased severance in the event of layoffs—up to 26 weeks for long-tenured employees, with a minimum of 11 weeks for our newest members.
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Management did not come to the table with counters to our proposals regarding compensation, paths to promotion, derivative rights, or the use of contractors — all major outstanding issues.
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That’s why, in solidarity with our @Spotify colleagues at @GimletUnion and @ParcastUnion, we’ll be participating in a two-hour work stoppage until 2 EST. We’ll also be joining them on Twitch at 1 EST to talk about the bargaining process, where we’re at, and the issues at stake.
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We’re back at the bargaining table with Ringer and Spotify management next week, before our contract expires at the end of February. We hope to see proposals that address our unit’s highest priorities.
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Last week, our company released a statement in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. We're working to make sure management lives up to these values in real ways.
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On Labor Day, we began sharing stories from current and former Ringer staffers about the importance of a livable wage. Today, we’re breaking down what it’s like to live off of an entry-level salary at The Ringer.
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At The Ringer, hourly employees are paid a base amount per week. But rather than reflecting 40 hours of work, the base pay is calculated according to 40 hours of “regular” work at a lower hourly rate and 10 hours of overtime. (If this seems confusing, that’s because it is!)
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More than 35 members of our unit have stopped by our session to observe and show their support. We're united and committed to winning a fair first contract, and soon.
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To clarify: Our union comprises all editorial departments of the company — writing, audio, video, and social. Together, we all make this site the great, creative space that we love.
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Today's the day! We'll be back at the table with management and a federal mediator for the first of two bargaining sessions this week. We're prepared to burn the midnight oil if that's what it takes to strike a fair deal.
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By unionizing, we hope to strengthen our already amazing workplace culture and ensure that everyone who works at The Ringer, from video to editorial, from senior staffers to entry-level hires, receives necessary support, protection, and fair compensation.
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We're headed back to the bargaining tomorrow. There, we'll hear management's latest proposals on compensation, guaranteed raises, and paths to promotion.
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