TA between PESP and Staff Union is unanimously ratified by bargaining unit members
January 19, 2024
Tentative Agreement between CWA/TNG Local 37074 and the Private Equity Stakeholder Project is unanimously ratified by bargaining unit members
On November 14, 2023 the Private Equity Stakeholder Project Staff Union (PESP-SU), a bargaining unit within the Denver News Guild, CWA/TNG Local 37074, and the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) reached a tentative agreement on their first contract. PESP-SU members voted unanimously to ratify the contract on Nov. 17.
The two-year contract secures excellent pay and benefits for employees, with new benefits such as student loan reimbursement and wellness stipends, as well as an updated payment structure that addresses pay equity issues. With professional development stipends and clearer avenues for promotion, this first contract provides pathways for building long-term careers at PESP.
This contract will also help cultivate a more family-friendly workplace through the establishment of a dependent care flexible savings account with a 5:1 employer to employee match, as well as a more expansive and inclusive definition of family as it relates to bereavement leave.
The PESP-SU contract seeks to bolster the successful work PESP has done since it was founded in 2017, supporting nationally-recognized research and campaigns to pull back the curtain on the scope and impacts of the private equity industry on people and the planet, and to build power with workers, tenants, and communities. This contract will benefit all involved with the organization—including staff, leadership, and stakeholders.
“This contract is an important and necessary step for our union. It represents a long-term investment in the growth of our organization through increased worker voice, strong benefits, and good pay,” said PESP-SU member Michael Fenne. “These are values we also express in our daily work.”
“The Private Equity Stakeholder Project is excited to have reached a collective bargaining agreement with employees. PESP is proud to be a union employer and looks forward to working together with the union to implement the contract,” said Jim Baker, Executive Director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project.
Background:
On April 19, 2023, the staff of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project announced the formation of a union within the Communications Workers of America – District 7 (CWA), Denver Newspaper Guild (CWA/TNG Local 37074). PESP voluntarily recognized the union and began bargaining in the summer of 2023.
