The Atlantic Union Business & Technology
Our Mission
As employees on The Atlantic’s business and technology teams, we are proud to be part of a storied publication that has served as a vital institution in American civil discourse since its founding 165 years ago. Our labor—forging partnerships, growing our subscriber base, and more—is critical to The Atlantic’s mission. That is why, today, we are taking a step to ensure the rights of all of our organization’s workers: We are unionizing with the NewsGuild of New York.
We have faith in The Atlantic’s editorial and corporate leadership, under which we have produced award-winning journalism, best-in-class products, ambitious campaigns, and expanded our audience. We also believe that worker power is essential, both to institutionalize what we love about The Atlantic and to build a truly diverse and equitable workplace. We believe that, as our editorial colleagues stated when they announced their union in June of 2021, “we are stronger collectively than individually, and that the future of journalism is brighter when its workers are united.”
We’re committed to The Atlantic’s core values, which include a “spirit of generosity” and a “sense of belonging.” We care about each other, our work, and how it impacts the world beyond The Atlantic. Our union is an expression of that belief, and a proactive effort to work with management to shape the future of the company. We believe a union will encourage individual and collective investment in The Atlantic, empowering our colleagues to build careers here. Our union will act as a forum for collaboration, consensus, and action to ensure just compensation and support for all employees, particularly junior staff and those of marginalized identities.
With a union, we will gain a seat at the table with The Atlantic’s management and our editorial colleagues. Together, we will chart our organization’s path forward, and ensure it is reflective of the range of perspectives that make The Atlantic a crucial voice in public discourse and a model for a sustainable media company.
Quotes from Staff
I’m organizing for a workplace where workers’ time and energy is respected, and burnout culture is not held up as a badge of honor.— Michal Anderson, Designer
I’m organizing so that my colleagues have access to the growth opportunities and recognition that they deserve.— Vinnie Zhang, Frontend Developer
The union will give staff a much stronger voice when it comes to setting workplace conditions. Because it exists outside of the workplace power structure, it's the only place staff can have truly honest conversations about their hopes and grievances, which can then be shared, collectively, with management. This can go a long way toward improving staff retention. This company runs on the daily decisions of its staff. Our judgment should be equally respected when it comes to setting the terms of our own employment.— Erin Boon, Data Scientist
It’s exciting to move towards joining our edit colleagues in unionizing. Our collective power will grow and our voices as workers will be heard. I’m organizing for better pay equity and support for my colleagues across the company.— Han Castanedo, Product Designer
I’m organizing to ensure my current and future colleagues have an avenue to advocate for themselves. By organizing, I believe we empower and invigorate each other.— David McManus, Podcast & Programmatic Operations Lead
I support unions because I’ve witnessed environments where designers, engineers, copywriters, and strategists worked too hard for too little. I believe our union will guarantee staff receive the respect other workplaces disregard.— Alex Barton, Senior Product Designer
I love The Atlantic and its values of generosity and belonging. I'm organizing for a workplace that continues to honor those values, where my colleagues' diversity, talents, time, and energy are respected and supported through transparency and pay equity.— Katie Simpson, Executive Assistant to the Publisher and EVP and the SVP & General Manger of AtlanticLIVE