At presses small and large, it’s another great week for the labor movement in publishing.

As of this afternoon, the University of Chicago Press Workers Guild (UCPWG) has won their union election, with a majority of the group’s 134 members voting to become a unit of the Chicago News Guild.

In this decisive victory, 89% of workers voted in favor of union representation. Which should create the conditions for the first union in the press’s 130-year history.

But wait, it gets better! (And how often do you get to read that, these days?) This effort is part of a nationwide labor movement that’s currently gunning for the publishing industry—and gaining huge wins. For just yesterday, employees at the Hachette Book Group also voted (388 to 130) to unionize with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.

This victory is historic for its size. According to Publishers Weekly, the Hachette Workers Coalition—i.e., the org behind the union drive— speaks for “600 union-eligible remote and NYC-based staff,” making it the largest union in trade publishing history.

So what comes next for our intrepid employees? Elections and contract negotiations.

As Publishers Weekly reports, the Hachette Workers Coalition (HWC) will soon “elect leadership and prepare to negotiate its first collective bargaining agreement.” For all the excitement, this could be an uphill battle. Especially considering that management has mounted a strong anti-union campaign so far.

Though there is also hard work to come in Chicago, for now the sun shines just as bright. Meredith Nini, senior promotions manager at the University of Chicago Press, enthused about the next phase in a public statement.

“I’m immensely proud of my fellow workers for their hard work and dedication to winning this election,” Nini told reporters. “These election results show that Press workers are bound together with a common mission. We look forward to bargaining for a contract that ensures a sustainable and equitable workplace for years to come.”

Big press or small, we leave the workers with two words: solidarity forever!

But in the meantime, you can read more about the UCPWG mission here. And the Hachette Workers Coalition here.

Brittany Allen

Brittany Allen

Brittany K. Allen is a writer and actor living in Brooklyn.