The May edition of The Labor Citizen marked one decade since BMA Media Group was retained to produce the statewide union building trades newspaper.
Owned by the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, The Labor Citizen provides readers with articles that discuss topics important to members of the union building trades such as:
- The start or completion of notable projects
- Issues that affect the union construction industry such as Prevailing Wage, So-Called “Right to Work,” Project Labor Agreements/Community Benefit Agreements, training, safety, etc.
- Industry news and trends
- Special Events
- Political issues and elections
- Special sections
The publication also includes a section for the subscribing building trades Local Unions in Ohio to submit a monthly article and pictures for member communication purposes.
A full-color publication, The Labor Citizen is printed on a union-staffed printing press in Canton, Ohio.
In order to produce The Citizen, the BMA Media team researches topics and writes articles, gathers images, performs all graphic design work and proofs the product before it goes to press.
Only those who are a member of a subscribing Local building trades union receive the paper. It is not intended for the general public.
The first edition of The Cleveland Citizen came out on Jan. 31, 1891. It was founded on a $30 investment by Max S. Hayes and Henry C. Long, both members of the Cleveland Typographical Union Local 53.
In 1977, the paper was sold to the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, who appointed William G. Obbagy as editor under the supervision of a nine-member board.
In 1998, a sister publication named The Ohio Labor Citizen was founded.
Over the course of 123 years, The Cleveland Citizen produced 4,948 issues.
In 2013, the CBCTC Executive Board voted to merge The Cleveland Citizen and The Ohio Labor Citizen together into The Labor Citizen and hired BMA Media Group to produce it. In June, The Labor Citizen made its debut, as a fully redesigned publication.
Today, the paper’s mission is the same as it was 133 years ago, to provide critical information to members about their specific union, as well as big picture news and information that impacts members of organized labor.
BMA Media Group is proud of its work in producing the first decade of The Labor Citizen and looks forward to the next decade of providing journalistic excellence to members of Ohio’s union building trades.