Staff at nonprofit The Maine Monitor unionize

The staff of The Maine Monitor announced Tuesday that they have formed a union, which has been voluntarily recognized by the nonprofit outlet. 

“We think the union is a great way to strengthen what is an already incredible organization,” said senior reporter Rose Lundy. “And throughout this process, it’s been really great to see that there’s been overwhelming support from eligible members, and I think that shows the excitement and enthusiasm for this process going forward.” 

Members of the union met with senior leadership Monday to alert them of the plans to organize. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, the nonprofit that publishes the Monitor, held a board of directors meeting afterward and voted unanimously to voluntarily recognize the union. 

“We think that a union will help us better meet the Monitor’s mission, which is to provide high-quality, nonpartisan investigative journalism to the state of Maine,” Lundy said. “And we think a union will help us do that by ensuring that staff can have a seat at the table and speak with one voice during these high-level discussions, and help ensure equitable employment terms that will attract top talent.” 

Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, executive director of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, said in a statement that the organization looks forward to “fostering a productive, respectful labor-management environment” with the union.

“The next steps will follow a well-defined legal process,” she said. “While this process is underway, everyone at The Maine Monitor remains fully focused on our work of delivering insightful public interest reporting on the issues impacting Maine and keeping it free for all to access and use.” 

The union has joined The NewsGuild of Maine, Local 31128 of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America. The Maine Monitor Union will represent non-supervisory reporters, development and audience engagement employees.

The NewsGuild of Maine represents more than 225 employees at the Maine Trust for Local News, the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor.