More Perfect Union (media organization)
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| Formation | February 2021 | |||||||||
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| Founder | Faiz Shakir | |||||||||
| Type | Nonprofit | |||||||||
| EIN: 85-3189807 | ||||||||||
| Focus | Labor, economy, working-class issues | |||||||||
| Method | Video journalism, advocacy reporting | |||||||||
| Award(s) | Sidney Award (2021), Hillman Prize (2023), Emmy Award (2025) | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Subscribers | 1.73 million[1] | |||||||||
| Views | 263 million[1] | |||||||||
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TikTok information | ||||||||||
| Page | ||||||||||
| Followers | 1 million | |||||||||
| Likes | 32 million | |||||||||
Instagram information | ||||||||||
| Page | ||||||||||
| Followers | 847,000 | |||||||||
X information | ||||||||||
| Handle | @moreperfectus | |||||||||
| Followers | 290,000 | |||||||||
More Perfect Union is a progressive non-profit news media organization founded in February 2021 by Faiz Shakir. The outlet, named after a phrase in the U.S. Constitution, specializes in video reporting and opinion coverage about the American labor movement, economic policy, and corporate accountability.[2][3]
It received the Sidney Award in 2021 for coverage of the Frito-Lay strike, and its explainer series The Class Room won a Hillman Prize in 2023 for opinion journalism.[4][5] In June 2025, More Perfect Union won an Emmy Award for Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis.[6]
Activities
[edit]Snack company strikes
[edit]In August 2021, More Perfect Union won the Sidney Award for its coverage of the Frito-Lay strike. "MPU was the first national outlet to cover the strike," the Sidney Hillman Foundation wrote in awarding the prize. "They published dispatches from the ground over a three-week period which collectively generated over 4 million views and spurred follow-on coverage by outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and NPR... After a three-week strike, Frito's Topeka plant struck an agreement to end the forced 7-day workweeks and so-called 'suicide shifts', which gave workers only 8 hours of break between shifts."[4][7]
Also in August 2021, More Perfect Union confirmed with actor Danny DeVito that he had been stripped of his verified status on Twitter after he tweeted a message of solidarity to striking Nabisco workers: "NO CONTRACT NO SNACKS."[8] The news spread widely and contributed to DeVito and his rallying cry becoming popular labor memes.[9]
The Class Room
[edit]In November 2021, More Perfect Union launched an explainer series called "The Class Room". It is "aimed at providing a left-wing answer to PragerU, a YouTube titan of right-wing ideology," the New York Times reported.[2]
In 2023, "The Class Room" was awarded the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis.[5]
Political coverage
[edit]In 2023, the outlet released footage of President Joe Biden meeting union organizers and reported on his appearance at a United Auto Workers picket line, noting that the organization played a coordinating role.[10]
Organization and leadership
[edit]More Perfect Union is led by Faiz Shakir. As of 2023, the organization had approximately 28 full-time employees.[11]
Funding
[edit]More Perfect Union is funded by philanthropic donors and does not accept contributions from corporations or labor unions.[2][11] Reported donors include the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and entities linked to Pierre Omidyar.[2][11]
Reception
[edit]More Perfect Union is recognized as part of the progressive digital media landscape.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "About More Perfect Union". YouTube.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Ben (8 November 2021). "Why the Media Loves Labor Now". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ Conley, Julia (9 December 2021). ""History made!" Buffalo Starbucks workers vote to form chain's first union in U.S." Salon. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b "More Perfect Union wins August Sidney for Agenda-Setting Coverage of Topeka Frito-Lay Strike". Hillman Foundation. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b "The Class Room". Hillman Foundation. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ "2025 News & Documentary Emmy Winners" (PDF). The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ "Striking To End 'Suicide Shifts,' Frito-Lay Workers Ask People To Drop The Doritos". NPR. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ Smith, Ryan (20 August 2021). "Danny DeVito gets Twitter verification back after abrupt loss of status sparks outrage". Newsweek. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ Stevens, Ashlie D. (31 August 2021). "No contracts, no snacks: Everything you need to know about the Nabisco strike". Salon. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ "The small pro-labor news site that has the Biden White House's ear". The Washington Post. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "A Little to the Left". Columbia Journalism Review. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2025.