A History of Bloomberg Industry Group

Despite its original name – the Bureau of National Affairs – the former “BNA” has never been a government entity.

The Guild has been representing what are now “Bloomberg-Industry Group” employees since 1938, when Local 35 of the American Newspaper Guild signed a contract with United States News Publishing Corp., the precursor to U.S. News and World Report.

At the time, daily and weekly publications of the firm’s BNA Division provided information on the business of government: mainly tax issues and trade regulations.

During the Great Depression, emergency actions by the Roosevelt Administration resulted in new regulations seemingly every day, and businesses relied on BNA for up-to-date information.

In 1946, U.S. News contemplated shutting down BNA. But its publisher, David Lawrence, agreed to sell the division to its employees. The deal was completed in January 1947, making BNA one of the oldest employee-owned corporations in the U.S. Along with the sale of BNA went its Guild representation.

The Guild maintained a strong presence at BNA for more than 70 years. Along with securing guaranteed annual pay raises, outstanding health insurance benefits, and leave time for new parents, the Guild led the way in making BNA a progressive company committed to fairness and respect for its employees.

In 2011, BNA was purchased by Bloomberg. Today, about 700 reporters, editors, customer service reps, production workers, accounting staffers, computer technicians and other Bloomberg Industry Group employees in Arlington and Washington, D.C. are protected by a contract that is bargained and enforced by the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild.

Another two dozen INDG Correspondents around the country are covered by a separate WBNG contract.