MIAMI, Aug. 18 – U.S. workers at the Spanish news agency EFE joined the News Media Guild this week, saying they’re standing together to achieve a fair contract that will enhance quality journalism in the rapidly growing Spanish media sector.
EFE, based in Madrid, is the world’s leading Spanish-language news agency, providing text, photos, and multimedia content to clients around the world. The North American operation is based in Miami, with journalists in New York, Washington, and other cities.
The News Media Guild filed a request for voluntary recognition for U.S. employees with the employer this week. EFE workers in the U.S. are joining their colleagues in Puerto Rico, who organized with a Guild affiliate, UPAGRA, in December. Bargaining for an initial contract there is under way.
The effort has the full backing of the Comisiones Obreras, a key union representing EFE employees in Spain, as well as the International Federation of Journalists.
“This effort brings workers together so they can uphold, with greater strength, their present and future interests,” the CCOO said in a statement.
EFE managers have told employees they respect the role of the unions in growing the company’s business.
“EFE workers know the value of the work they do and how important the growing American Hispanic market is,” said NMG President Tony Winton. “They also know that fair contracts attract and retain the best workers, something that results in quality journalism in any language,” he said.
“We chose the News Media Guild because of its commitment to workplace democracy and high professional standards,” said Benito Garcia, a news editor in Miami and a member of the organizing committee. Jorge Bañales, an editor in Washington, added: “EFE is a decent employer that respects the union rights of its workers in Spain. We call on the company to do likewise here and begin bargaining a fair contract for its U.S. based staff.”
The organizing effort represents the first Florida-based unit for the Guild.
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley said it was more important than ever for newspaper workers to have a union voice and representation. “TNG-CWA works not only to improve working conditions but to maintain quality journalism, professionalism and diversity of opinion. We’re very happy to welcome workers at EFE as our newest members.”
The News Media Guild, formerly the Wire Service Guild, represents employees at the Associated Press and United Press International. The union is a local of The Newspaper Guild-Communications of America, AFL-CIO. Other TNG and CWA locals represent workers in newsrooms at the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.