Workers at Mission Local, one of the largest non-profit newsrooms in San Francisco, are making news of their own.
The outlet’s reporters and donor coordinator announced the formation of a union in the middle of August. On Friday, the publication’s leadership officially sent out its voluntary recognition form to the union’s membership.
Eleni Balakrishnan, who was brought on as the second full-time staff reporter, said the publication has grown dramatically since she joined.
“We just want to ensure that as we're growing, we're all fairly compensated through that process, and that it remains a sustainable place to work and grow in the long term,” she said.
Dubbed Mission Local Guild, its members include eight reporters and one fundraiser. The move is part of a growing wave of unionizations happening in newsrooms across the country in recent years at publications such as The Texas Tribune, The Marshall Project, City Bureau, Berkeleyside and Signal Ohio.
The union joined Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39521 of The NewsGuild–Communications Workers of America, which represents more than 25,000 professional journalists and communications workers in North America.
“It's a tumultuous industry to be in,” said Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, president of the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California chapter. “It’s an industry without a lot of protections, so having some stability and having a place where they can bargain is only going to add to their sense of stability.” Fitzgerald Rodriguez, a senior politics reporter for The San Francisco Standard, said he was speaking on behalf of SPJ NorCal.
Mission Local Guild was recognized by management on Friday. | Courtesy
For its part, the publication’s leadership is looking forward to negotiations.
“We’re recognizing the union and hope to work collaboratively to go into contract negotiations in good faith,” senior editor Joe Rivano Barros said.
Frances Dinkelspiel, chair of the board of directors, told The Ingleside Light that the board and editors look forward to working with the staff to ensure the excellence of Mission Local for decades to come.
Founded in 2008 by Executive Editor Lydia Chávez as a UC Berkeley School of Journalism project, Mission Local has grown into an accomplished media presence, earning dozens of awards, including 12 California Journalism Awards in 2024, and was named a finalist at the 2025 LION Sustainability Awards.
Just last year, the organization, comprised of 13 full-time staff members, received well over $1 million in revenue, a 65% increase from the previous year.
Union member Vicky Añíbarro, the publication’s fundraiser, said that what worked for a two or three-person team doesn't necessarily work for a 15-person team.
“I think we're anticipating more growth, and as you add more people, you add more possibilities for people to fall through the cracks,” Añíbarro said.
Mission Local has historically been a training ground for new reporters. A publication that prioritizes working with reporters of color and staff at all stages of their careers. (Disclosure: The Ingleside Light’s Alex Mullaney worked at Mission Local as a student.)
The next stage will be to iron out a contract for negotiations with management. Members of the Mission Local Guild are optimistic that everything will go smoothly with the process.
“We all really appreciate Mission Local and enjoy working here,” Balakrishnan said. “We just want to ensure we have processes in place to reduce any potential friction. It's always been a pretty transparent and open place to work, so we want to ensure that continues.”
John R. Adkins is a San Francisco-based journalist and storyteller living in Ingleside. He is editor-in-chief of City College's student-run publication The Guardsman and reports on higher education, politics and the arts.
