PEN America United, the staff union at PEN America, reached a tentative agreement with management on July 10. Details of the agreement have yet to be disclosed.
The agreement follows 21 months of bargaining and comes less than two weeks after all PAU voting unit members authorized a strike. In a June 28 Instagram post announcing the strike authorization, PAU stated that its "contract priorities for the last twenty months have been fair pay and benefits, protection for members’ personal political expression, and protection against unfair retaliation."
PAU was formed in June 2022 and began bargaining with PEN America that October. In March 2023, PAU voted to affiliate with United Auto Workers Local 2320, Region 9A. The July contract marks PAU and PEN America's first collective bargaining agreement.
"We are elated that, after a long and arduous process, we have reached a tentative agreement on our first union contract with PEN America management," the PAU executive board said in a statement. "This is a huge step towards realizing a fair workplace at PEN America."
The statement continued: "This milestone for our union could not have occurred had it not been for the unyielding support of our affiliate, United Auto Workers, and each of our unit members, who have time and time again shown up for PAU. Every member of PEN America United, including former staff, is an example of what dogged solidarity, tireless organizing, and yes, the liberating power of language, can do. We look forward to a ratification vote in the coming days. Solidarity forever."
PEN America, in a statement, said that the organization "is very proud of the agreement reached with PEN America United" and that "the outcome of this contract, our first collective bargaining agreement, is a testament to the hard work and engagement of everyone involved in this process." The statement continued: "PEN America is invested in its talented staff, and we look forward to continuing to work together to advance our free expression mission."
