Melissa Atkins Discusses the Strike at Insider in The Washington Post

Obermayer labor and employment partner Melissa Atkins was quoted in The Washington Post on June 14, 2023, in connection with the 13-day labor strike at Insider – the fast-paced publication that has become one of the biggest successes of digital media. 

The article, titled “The bitter strike at Insider — longest ever in digital media — is over,” discusses the factors that led to the unionization of the Insider staffers as well as the agreement that was reached, ending the 13-day protest — and the longest strike at a digital media company to date.

Obermayr’s Melissa Atkins said in an interview that employers typically try to avoid strikes because of the negative press attention and their cost to the company. So strikes represent powerful leverage for many workers.

“They are the last straw,” she said. “It’s the last thing in a union’s pocket to force negotiations.”

Read the full article here.