Public Relations (PR) Union — Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

Public Relations Professionals Joining Together in Union

Public relations professionals like the creative, stimulating work of their career, but they often work in fast-paced and high-pressure environments. The stress, long hours, and inadequate compensation at public relations agencies can lead to burnout and drive dedicated professionals out of the industry. Public relations professionals can join with their co-workers to form a union and enjoy sustainable careers. Working together, public relations professionals can:

Increase compensation
Negotiate for policies that promote work-life balance
Bring transparency and clarity to the hiring, promotion, and advancement process
Gain a say in other important workplace decisions

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Union professionals are making workplace gains

Over six million professionals have joined unions to gain power in their workplaces and secure their pay, benefit, and working conditions in a legally binding contract. With their unions, professionals have created quality careers by achieving tangible gains, including salary minimums, work-life balance, and a voice in decisions that affect them. Similar gains could be achieved in the public relations industry. Some specific examples of these gains include:

From Vox.com to HuffPost to The Onion, journalists at digital news platforms across the news industry have realized the benefits of forming unions. By using their collective voice journalists at Vox.com negotiated for a union contract that guarantees a minimum salary of $56,000, annual raises ranging from 2.75 to 3 percent, health insurance for part-time employees, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave. News professionals at The Intercept secured first-of-its kind diversity and inclusion provisions in their union contract, including requiring at least two candidates from underrepresented groups are interviewed when hiring.

Nonprofit professionals in union have made it a priority to address burnout, as nonprofit workplaces are known for heavy workloads and low pay. Employees at organizations like Pittsburg United and the Democracy Collaborative negotiated for comp time for working exceptional hours and flexibility in scheduling to help employees balance the demands of work and family. Nonprofit union members have also secured salary minimums and annual raises in their union contracts along with pathways for advancement.
Public radio professionals can be called to work at all hours of the day, which is why public radio professionals in union have negotiated for protections that prevent employees from literally working 24-7. For example, WBUR employees have comp time for extended days, being "on call," and returning to work after less than 12 hours between shifts. Union public radio professionals have also secured annual raises, additional merit increases, and benefits like tuition reimbursement and professional development.

How to form a union

While over six million professionals have exercised their workplace right to form a union, and many more would support and join a union in their workplace. Forming a union may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be. A union is just a group of employees working together to improve their workplace, and forming a union largely consists of talking to coworkers about their experiences at work. Below are the steps to forming a union.