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Law360 Reporters and Editors Ratify New Contract After Strike

Shortly after going on strike, Law360 employees got a new contract from LexisNexis. (Credit: Navya Asopa)

Shortly after going on strike, Law360 employees got a new contract from LexisNexis. (Credit: Navya Asopa)

Less than two weeks after declaring an indefinite strike, union members at the legal news and analysis outlet Law360 ratified a new five-year contract with parent company LexisNexis.

The contract guarantees a 7% salary increase within a month, raising base salaries to $67,000. It also caps health care coverage costs at 15% and provides five sick days a year, 14 weeks of parental leave, and Juneteenth as a paid holiday.

“I feel really good about this contract and the protections and benefits it is securing for our workers over the next five years,” said Drashti Mehta, an editor at Law360 and union secretary.

The deal, which also requires management to have a just and fair cause to discipline employees, was ratified with 98% approval from the 218 voting members on September 23.

Law360 employees’ fight included a picket line outside their Park Avenue office on Sept. 10, with 1199SEIU, representing 250 reporters and editors, leading the strike.

“This contract is about reflecting how valuable we are to making Law360 a really fantastic publication,” said Bev Banks, a Law360 reporter and union member based in Washington, D.C. Banks credited the week-long picket line and their union publication, ‘Outlaw360,’ for the big win.

Law360’s previous contract, which expired on Dec. 31, 2022, capped workers’ health care coverage cost increases at 4.5% and base annual salaries at about $50,000 per year.

“I’m so proud of this union and so grateful to have been part of this contract campaign. It’s truly been life-changing,” Mehta said.

Not all of the union’s demands were met, though. “The company refused to give us a floating holiday, something that they gave us previously, which is intended for people to use for cultural or religious events that may not be covered by the normal time off policy,” said Juan Rodríguez, a Law360 reporter and union organizer based in New York.

Both sides made concessions in the second round of negotiations, with management represented by LexisNexis Vice President Teresa Harmon. The union also filed multiple unfair labor practice charges, citing bad-faith bargaining and layoffs of 10% of unionized staff, despite record revenue in 2023.

Law360 employees were supported by sister unions and by elected officials including Queens Council Member Tiffany Cabán, State Sen. Jessica Ramos and City Comptroller Brad Lander. Ramos and Lander are currently running for mayor. Prior to the agreement, the union had set up a GoFundMe page to help striking workers, which raised about $31,459.

“Winning this fantastic second contract is a testament to the Law360 union’s fighting strength,” Rodríguez said.

Emails sent to Law360 and LexisNexis management requesting comment went unanswered.

About the author(s)

Navya Asopa, originally from India, is a Stabile investigative fellow at Columbia Journalism School. Her reporting focuses on labor, immigration, and gender.