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A week after the New York City editors and reporters of DNAInfo and Gothamist voted to join the Writers Guild of America East, the two digital publications were closed down by their parent corporation, TD Ameritrade, resulting in the loss of 115 jobs – not just in New York City, but in satellite offices which had not unionized in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington. The two publications specialized in local news and attracted more than nine million readers a month, but billionaire founder Joe Ricketts, owner of TD Ameritrade, had lost money every month that DNAInfo had existed. While he praised the work and impact the two publications had on thousands of people, he also stated that as businesses, they needed to be financially successful in order to endure. In September, Ricketts had written a blog post, “Why I’m Against Unions At Businesses I Create” that stated “unions promote a corrosive us-against-them dynamic that destroys the esprit de corps businesses need to succeed.” Journalism as an industry has continued to struggle to stay profitable , with established New York City publications such as The Village Voice, The Wall Street Journal and The Daily News slashing staff, stopping print publication, or withdrawing from street-level reporting. Print advertising, which publications had relied on, had crashed, and revenues from digital advertising have not been sufficient. The union confirmed that anti-union threats were made to employees during the organizing drive, and is actively seeking recourse for their new members.