U.S.-Based Journos of Spanish Agency EFE Vote For Union

By: Mark Fitzgerald Journalists working in the United States for the Spanish wire service EFE News Service have voted to unionize with the News Media Guild (NMG), a local of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America.

With the proliferation of Spanish-language news media -- several launched by mainstream daily newspapers -- the Guild could have significant implications for the union and publishers.

News Media Guild President Tony Winton said the election could be a first step in representing more journalists in the Spanish-language media.

"I certainly would hope so," he said in an interview Monday. "Spanish-language [media] is certainly growing by leaps and bounds, and certainly we're looking closely at it."

The EFE employees approached the Guild for representation, he said.

The representation victory also marks the Guild's first successful organizing campaign in Florida, and comes at a time when some Miami Herald employees have reportedly been discussing unionizing.

Winton declined to comment on the outlook for Herald unionization.

The Guild said EFE had pledged before the election that it would begin bargaining on an initial contract if employees voted for the union. The vote, held Sept. 30, was 23-14 in favor of NMG representation, the Guild said.

EFE has U.S. offices in Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C.

The election covered what the Guild said were an expanding number of U.S. employees who, unlike their colleagues, were not protected by a union contract negotiated in Spain. The Guild said EFE employs about 40 of these full-time journalists and administrative employees in the U.S.

The Guild said the organizing campaign had received "critical" support from union journalists in Spain as well as the International Federation of Journalists, "who both interceded with Madrid EFE executives to press for a fair and free vote."

Puerto Rican EFE employees voted last December to be represented by a Guild local. Bargaining has started on an initial contract.

The News Media Guild, established in 1958, represents about 1,700 reporters, photographers, broadcast staff, and technicians at the Associated Press and United Press International.