News site Insider’s workers reach deal to end strike

Insider Group employees have reached a deal with the publication to end the longest open-ended strike in online news history.

The news that Insider’s union has reached a deal comes after two years without a contract and at the end of a 13-day strike. The pact provides new benefits to employees, including increased funding for mental health and prescription coverage.

Insider employees returned to work Thursday.

“Insider is a great place to work, and we’re proud that the CBA formalizes many of our existing practices, policies and benefits, including freedom to work from anywhere in the U.S., top of the market pay, 16 weeks of parental leave, and a commitment to building a diverse and equitable workplace,” Barbara Peng, the site’s president, told employees in an email Wednesday.

The deal, if ratified, will set a $65,000 salary floor, promise not to fire any more employees for the rest of 2023 and set up a reimbursement program for employees who saw their prescription prices increase after the company changed insurance providers.

As part of the tentative agreement, Insider will also have to resolve its unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board after the company changed insurance providers from United Healthcare to Cigna, which allegedly led to the prescription price spike.

The strike began on June 2 and came right after Insider fired dozens of employees.

The strike was ugly, with the company reportedly not coming to the table the first few days. The battle continued on social media when a video was posted of Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Carlson tearing down union posters with his face on them. Despite internal calls to keep the video private, the post made its way online and eventually to the New York Post.

The strike at the business-focused publication came during a turbulent year for news unions. Due to a slowing economy and slacking advertising revenue, newsrooms have been slashed across the industry. In response, news unions at The New York Times, Reuters and NBC have walked out to curb layoffs and increase pay.