NUJ achieves historic union recognition at Press Association

Jonathan Brady and Emily Pennink, co-chairs of the PA NUJ chapel, spoke to the TUC about their campaign for union recognition.

The campaign begins

Jonathan, a PA staff photographer based in London, told the TUC how the process to win union recognition at PA began four years ago.

He said: “This campaign all started back in 2020. Following the easing of the first Covid-19 lockdown, we had a pay cut imposed on us with no consultation.

“That started a conversation amongst a group of staff who were NUJ members and who were unhappy with this decision.

“We knew the pay cut wasn’t right, and we wanted to see if we could do something about it. So, we decided to reach out to our NUJ national organiser Laura Davison and see what we could do.”

Pay had “always been an issue”

Jonathan explained that pay at PA had been a long-term concern for staff.

He said: “Pay has historically always been an issue at PA. We have young workers getting jobs here at the start of their careers – but they’re looking to write their way out after 2-3 years and go somewhere where they will get paid better.

“The majority of staff weren’t aware of the benefits that union membership and recognition could bring, in terms of pay and conditions.

“We had to make the argument that if you join the union, we can have meaningful discussions with the company around pay – and make change.”

Emily, who is PA’s Old Bailey Correspondent, said: “We knew we had the better argument and we tried to reach as many people as possible.

“And once we started talking to staff about pay, it was like the floodgates opened. People realised that they weren’t on their own and we were all facing the same challenges.”

Piecing the puzzle together

Emily told the TUC they faced problems building momentum to begin with. She said: “We faced a real challenge getting the workforce together.

“Staff are based all over the UK, some are working at home, and culturally we work in small silo teams which means most people don’t know each other.

“We had to build up a network of supporters from scratch. And that meant banging the drum for a better pay deal in every single team, office, region and nation.

“In the early days the biggest challenge we had was the logistical one – finding out who was who, and who worked where. We kept unveiling parts of the editorial network that we didn’t know existed.

“Social media was invaluable in getting the message out on what we were about and recruiting people to the campaign.

“The cost-of-living crisis was also a major barrier as many PA staff were struggling financially – and while they supported the arguments for a better deal at work, they couldn’t support that financially.”

Jonathan reflected that without what’s app, getting everyone connected would not have been achievable. He said: “We couldn’t have achieved what we did in terms of building a network without what’s app.

“We set up some groups and chats and that really did just snowball. Word spread and more and more people got involved, becoming reps in a de facto kind of way.”

Approaching the CAC

By 2021, union membership had grown.

Jonathan said: “By the summer of 2021 we were properly organised and ratified as a chapel. So, we set in place a strategy for recruitment and agreed what our bargaining unit would be.

“Progress was quite slow initially as due to the constant churn of staff our union membership became static.

“By early 2023, our national organiser Laura suggested we should think about starting the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) process for formal union recognition at PA.

“We thought this would be something that would galvanise our efforts – as previously we hadn’t been able to set a target or have a final goalpost. So naturally, people hadn’t all joined as they were waiting for others to or didn’t have an impetus to join now.

“Now we had an end game. We could point to the CAC recognition as our next step. The clock was ticking.”

Application for voluntary recognition

Jonathan told the TUC that the union members first win was a letter they sent to PA in 2022 on the pay claim.

He said: “We drew inspiration from our colleagues in the London bureau of AFP and put in a letter ahead of the autumnal pay claim.

“We sent it to the editor in chief – and people could choose to sign up, like a petition.

"The letter was successful – we got a 6% pay rise across the whole company, which we know was more than had been originally planned.

“We now had a success we could point to as the result of collective action.

“So, in the Spring of 2023, we asked PA for voluntary union recognition, And while that was rejected twice, members saw something was in motion.  

“We then put in a letter for the 2023 pay claim – which was granted in part. We were on a roll.”

Pay survey

Emily told the TUC that the union carried out a pay survey at PA ahead of the 2023 pay claim.

She said: “The pay survey highlighted that quite a lot of people at PA were on low pay. There were some staff on annual incomes of less than £25k, and who were paid less than the real living wage.

“We knew we had to address and tackle that straight away.

“We wanted a pay uplift for anyone under £35k. The company gave those earning under £45k a 6% pay rise – but capped pay rises for those earning more than that.”

Emily told the TUC pay structures at PA had never been transparent.

She said: “I’ve been here at PA for over 20 years and pay had always tended to be awarded in quite a secretive way.

“It was always delegated to heads of departments to give out pay rises, which meant the system was potentially open to favoritism and abuse.  

“We wanted to break away from that culture of secrecy and lack of transparency. We started explaining to staff that it didn’t have to be this way.

“We got amazing support and advice from other media outlets with union recognition, like the chapel at the FT.

“It was a revelation and a breath of fresh air to see how other organisations like ours awarded pay rises in an open and transparent way.”

Going for formal recognition

After the two letters for voluntary recognition were rejected by PA, the chapel unanimously decided to go down the route of formal union recognition in November 2023.

Following the winter break, they met with NUJ reps, PA and Acas in January.

Emily said: “We had our first face-to-face meeting with the idea of agreeing our bargaining unit, and which staff would be covered by the union recognition agreement.

“There were two sticking points. PA argued that photographers and picture desk staff who were historically contracted to a separate company called PA Photos Ltd should be excluded from the bargaining unit, despite them doing the same job and following the same reporting line as their colleagues contracted to Press Association Ltd.

“They also wanted the line managers' deputies excluded from the bargaining unit as well.

“We argued they should both be included but couldn’t reach agreement.”

The bargaining unit

A second, follow-up meeting with Acas was organised, but then PA management cancelled it – so Emily and Jonathan went back to the CAC.

Emily said: “We put the case to the CAC for the the photographers employed by ‘PA Photos’ and deputy heads of department to be included in our bargaining unit. We wanted it to be as comprehensive and inclusive as possible.

“The CAC agreed with us on the PA Photos staff but not on the deputies. And that meant we then had the exact number of employees covered by the bargaining agreement, so we knew how many members we needed to get formal recognition.

“The way it works is that if you have more than 50% membership, you stand a good chance of getting automatically recognised  – if you don't, it is likely to go to a postal or workplace ballot.

“So, we cranked up our recruitment campaign! We had online meetings, social events – and our steering group met every fortnight."

Winning recognition

During the run in to winning recognition in June, Emily and Jonathan weren’t sure they had enough members to secure automatic recognition – they needed more than 50% membership from the bargaining unit (around 270-280 staff) and the week before they were on 49%.

However – they got to 51%, which the CAC decided was enough to secure automatic victory without having to go to a workplace or postal ballot.

Both reps were obviously delighted to secure NUJ recognition in June.

Emily said: “I can’t tell you how thrilled we are! We are delighted the union has been recognised at PA.

“This is the culmination of a long process and we are so grateful to everyone who has been involved, and for the support we’ve had along the way.  

“We are now looking forward to working hard to get the best we can for our colleagues and this decision ensures they can all have a real say in what happens at PA.

“We all love working for PA, it is a huge honour and responsibility to bring the news to people, one we all take very seriously.  

“We now want to work with the company to improve things within our workplace to make PA the best it can be.”

Reflections – and next steps

Jonathan said: “I’m really proud that we ran such a positive campaign.

“We never set out to be disparaging about the company and, indeed, we always reinforced our belief that the jobs we do at PA are great jobs.

“Our argument was always that gaining union recognition would help to make great jobs even better and help to push and keep PA at the pinnacle of British journalism where it belongs.

“We want the company to do well – and for young journalists to see that they have a future and a career path here.”

Emily agreed. She said: “If people are happier and are getting a fair deal at work, they’re more likely to stay and build their careers here.  

“It’s a win-win. Better productivity and staff retention for the company, and staff can thrive in a happier, more modern environment.”

Jonathan said: “Everyone is excited about this opportunity that we’ve given ourselves through hard work, support and camaraderie.

“I’m looking forward to making the recognition agreement work well with the company and acting in the best of faith to make PA the fantastic institution it could and should be.” 

Words of advice

The TUC asked the reps if they had any advice for other reps going for union recognition.

Emily said: “I’d say – be creative, don’t give up, and stay positive! What you want is achievable – even if you’re starting from a small base.

“And, try and have fun along the way. Doing this has been a hugely rewarding experience for me.”

Jonathan told the TUC: “I would say use all the tools that you have available. It’s worth reaching out as early as possible to the union who is relevant to you, as that’s such a fantastic resource.

“It can be a daunting process at times, and national organisers can be a real source of support and knowledge.

National comment

Laura Davison, NUJ national organiser, reflected on the campaign.

She said: “I'm absolutely delighted by this decision. Our members at PA have campaigned tirelessly to encourage colleagues to join the union and fight for strengthened collective power and a real voice in their workplace.    

“This recognition agreement is thanks to their dedicated efforts and sheer determination to improve conditions for all at the company.

“Union recognition will mean longstanding issues on low pay, transparency and pay progression can be tackled constructively with the company and we look forward to meaningful engagement with PA now this decision has been granted.    

“I want to say a massive well done to all those involved in getting this result in what has been a lengthy and difficult process for all concerned. And a special thank you to our current and former reps at the company who have been outstanding in their approach and commitment throughout.”      

And Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: “This historic decision is the culmination of extensive work and imaginative campaigning by our reps at PA and the crucial evidence provided to the CAC.

“This campaign, backed by hundreds of journalists, will no doubt inspire editorial workers at other media organisations that achieving union recognition is possible.

“We welcome approval by the CAC and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to PA journalists and reps in fighting for a collective voice at work and improved terms and conditions for members.

“Huge thanks are deserved to all of our members at PA – especially our brilliant reps – and our team of staff, industrial officials and lawyers who together have put so much effort into securing this win."