WGA East Members at FT Specialist Ratify First Union Contract

Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at FT Specialist, an editorial division of Financial Times, overwhelmingly ratified a groundbreaking first collective bargaining agreement.

After more than two years of negotiations, the 45-member bargaining unit at FT Specialist won a fair three-year agreement that includes a first of its kind Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) clause that says “the Company shall discuss in advance the introduction of any new technology” and “the Guild shall have the right to bargain expeditiously over the effects of the changes.”

The contract includes a new minimum starting salary of $65,000. In addition, the agreement guarantees minimum annual increases up to 8.25% in the first year of the contract for employees making up to $70,000, and all employees will receive 3.25% minimum annual raises in the second year of the contract and 3% in the third year of the contract.

The FT Specialist bargaining committee, said “We are so happy to say that we have ratified our first contract, which gave everyone an immediate raise, set parameters for the implementation of new technology, including AI, and contains some of the strongest just cause language in the industry. Our unit ratified the contract with an overwhelming majority of votes – an emblem of the solidarity that made our biggest wins possible. We are proud to be part of a fighting union and excited for our new Diversity and Labor Management committees to begin work." Read more here.