Catalist and Catalist Union Reach Tentative Agreement on First Contract: Joint Statement

WASHINGTON (July 7, 2022) — Catalist and the Catalist Union have reached a tentative three-year agreement on the union’s first collective bargaining agreement. Catalist is a leading progressive data utility and maintains the longest-running voter file outside the two parties. 

Catalist voluntarily recognized the union last year. The union organized through the Communications Workers of America’s Campaign to Organize Digital Workers (CODE-CWA) and affiliated with CWA Local 2336, making Catalist the first progressive data and analytics firm to unionize.

The Catalist Bargaining Committee, which was elected by Catalist Union members, issued the following statement:

The Catalist Bargaining Committee is proud to announce that we have tentatively agreed on a first contract with Catalist.

We formed a union in order to guarantee that Catalist workers are empowered to participate in building a more equitable, inclusive Catalist. We have been heard at the negotiating table and, together with Catalist management, have drafted a contract that further enshrines the voice of the Catalist workforce.

We applaud the professionalism of Catalist management throughout many hours of proposal writing and negotiations. Initial labor contracts for new unions can easily take a year or more, but we are thankful to say that courtesy, respect, and diligence from both sides of the bargaining table have brought us to this groundbreaking tentative agreement in only eight months. 

We look forward to presenting a finalized version of our tentative agreement with our union members very soon so that it can be reviewed, voted on, and ratified. Only in solidarity can we truly fulfill Catalist’s mission of strengthening the progressive community.

Michael Frias, Catalist’s CEO, also shared his thoughts:

We could not be more proud of the effort on both sides of the negotiating table, including management and union staff. Everyone at Catalist, including our staff, our leadership team, and our board, are proud to be a union shop.

Unionizing is part of how we live our values, and it brings us even closer to the labor movement, progressive organizations, and Democratic campaigns we’ve worked with for so many years. We are fortunate to do the work we do on behalf of millions of working people and the organizations that fight for a better, fairer, more just America.

Negotiation is hard and rewarding work. We’re grateful to the Catalist Bargaining Committee for approaching these negotiations so thoughtfully and deliberately. I was raised in a union household and have experience with the hard work of labor organizing myself, so I know firsthand how important unions are and the courage and commitment it takes to not only form a union but to see it through. I have immense respect for our staff and the Catalist Union and believe this work will make our organization even stronger.