New York Daily News workers picket in a 24-hour strike

New York Daily News journalists walk off the job in one-day protest over hedge fund owners’ slashing of resources

NEW YORK – Journalists at New York’s Hometown Newspaper, the Daily News, walked out Thursday — the first walkout since the end of their historic strike in 1991 — fed up with chronic cuts ordered by the paper’s owner, the ‘destroyer of newspapers’ Alden Global Capital. 

“Alden wants to act as if we are not being chiseled,” said union steward Michael Gartland, an award-winning reporter who’s covered three NYC mayors. “We’re not going to engage in that intellectual dishonesty. In reality, we’re being crushed for cash. As a result, staff is diminished, which means our ability to cover the city is diminished. We believe this is bad for New York.”

Continue reading “New York Daily News journalists walk off the job in one-day protest over hedge fund owners’ slashing of resources”

Forbes workers go on three-day strike

NEW YORK – Unionized editorial staff at Forbes are walking off the job through Monday in protest of the business magazine’s attempts to prevent union members from exercising their rights as well as slow-walking contract negotiations. 

This the first walkout for the Forbes Union, and the first known work stoppage in the magazine’s 106-year history. It occurs during the production of its February/March print issue. 

Continue reading “Forbes workers go on three-day strike”
Binghui Huang speaking to supporters and members of the Indianapolis NewsGuild during a rally in 2022

Indy Guild ratifies new contract, with better pay and job protections against AI

After more than 3 years of bargaining, the Indianapolis News Guild reached a two-year collective bargaining agreement with Gannett.

The agreement invests $200,000 in giving members long-deserved raises and updating the woefully outdated wage scale. This was a priority among the 39 members, whose input also guided the decision-making in non-economic areas.

The contract includes a new seniority-based wage scale, plus across-the-board pay increases in both years of the contract, which will benefit every member and help with pay equity in the newsroom.

Continue reading “Indy Guild ratifies new contract, with better pay and job protections against AI”
Photo of the workers at the San Antonio Report wearing red shirts after going public with their union in January 2024

Workers at San Antonio Report walk off the job in protest of illegal layoff

At 11:30 a.m. Central Time Wednesday staffers at the San Antonio Report walked off the job after hearing that their colleague Sandra Santos was laid off by the nonprofit newsroom in Texas.

“This is exactly the type of thing we organized to prevent so we could find solutions for the organization and the members,” said Isaac Windes, an education reporter at the San Antonio Report.

Continue reading “Workers at San Antonio Report walk off the job in protest of illegal layoff”
Texas Tribune staffers pose for a photo and gather together on the day they launched their union January 24, 2024

Texas Tribune employees announce union organizing campaign

AUSTIN — Employees of the award-winning nonprofit newsroom The Texas Tribune announced their intent to unionize on Wednesday as the Texas Tribune Guild, part of the Media Guild of the West and The NewsGuild-CWA.

Organizers petitioned for voluntary recognition from the CEO, editor-in-chief and the board of The Texas Tribune.

Members of the union organizing committee presented management with the request for voluntary recognition after 90% of eligible staffers signed union authorization cards signaling their desire to be represented by the Texas Tribune Guild.

Continue reading “Texas Tribune employees announce union organizing campaign”
Workers at Politico and E&E News making posters demanding a first contract

POLITICO and E&E News staffers ink first contract

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday the POLITICO and E&E News (PEN) Guild reached a tentative agreement for its first-ever collective bargaining agreement after 20 months of negotiations. 

Covering three years, the tentative contract includes numerous improvements for the company’s journalists, including higher pay that helps close inequities in the newsroom, stronger benefits and layoff protections — including enhanced protections against adoption of artificial intelligence, some of the industry’s first contract language regarding the use of AI.

“We formed this union because our colleagues were overworked, underpaid and lacked basic protections,” said Unit Chair Tanya Snyder, a transportation reporter for POLITICO Pro. “This contract will benefit our journalists and lead to a healthier, stronger newsroom.” 

Members of PEN Guild, which represents over 270 journalists, must still ratify the contract.

Wage inequity was a top issue for many in PEN Guild. The union’s study of newsroom salaries found wage gaps for journalists of color and women and non-binary employees. The contract will take significant steps toward closing those gaps. 

Other achievements in the contract include 5 percent caps on insurance premium increases and coverage of IVF and fertility treatments; 24 weeks of paid parental leave; faster vesting of 401(k) matches; automatic transit stipends; a strong policy regarding the treatment of trans and non-binary employees; and just cause protections for the disciplinary process.

POLITICO journalists unionized in October 2021 with over 80 percent support of the newsroom and were formally recognized by the company shortly thereafter.

PEN Guild is part of the Washington-Baltimore Chapter of NewsGuild-CWA.

Contact PEN Guild at politicoeenewsguild@gmail.com

Workers at Condé Nast pose for a photo during a work action protesting the company's intention to illegally lay off 94 workers

Condé Nast workers at a dozen publications walk out

Outraged over the unlawful handling of layoff negotiations and bad-faith bargaining, unionized staff at many of the top Condé Nast brands have walked off the job for one day and will picket outside One World Trade Center in New York City today.

SUPPORT THE WORKERS – Join the digital picket line and do not engage with Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Epicurious, Glamour, GQ, Self, Teen Vogue, Them, Vanity Fair, or Vogue content on January 23, 2024.

TAKE ACTION – Tell CEO Roger Lynch that enough is enough by sending a letter with a clear message: bargain in good faith and stop the layoffs!

HARDSHIP FUND – If Condé decides to dock our pay for the day of the walkout, we want to make sure union members who would experience financial hardship from the loss are covered. Please donate to the walkout fund!

SPREAD THE WORD – Follow and repost to support workers on Instagram and Twitter!

Continue reading “Condé Nast workers at a dozen publications walk out”
Photo of Los Angeles Times staffers posing in front of Los Angeles City Hall on January 19, 2024 during a strike (Jay L. Clendenin)

Photos from the historic Los Angeles Times walkout

Six years after forming their union, workers at the Los Angeles Times struck for 24 hours over illegal behavior by management and a plan to gut the largest newsroom on the West Coast. The newsroom of about 400 walked off the job in a quickly organized strike, the first ever work stoppage in the L.A. Times’ 142-year history.

Workers struck across the country and gathered in downtown Los Angeles, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts and Texas.

(Photo by Jay L. Clendenin)
Continue reading “Photos from the historic Los Angeles Times walkout”
Los Angeles Times staffers protesting company plans to lay off journalists in 2023

Los Angeles Times goes on strike today

Los Angeles Times workers are walking out today, the first strike at the publication in its 142-year history. The one-day unfair labor practice strike is happening six years to the day that workers formed a union at the Times.

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Times management announced that it intends to imminently lay off a significant number of journalists and asked the Guild to gut seniority protections in the union contract so they have vastly more freedom to pick whom to lay off. This will greatly damage their ability to provide the accountability journalism so important to Southern California. 

In response, the Guild is holding a one-day, multi-city walkout on Friday to Save Local Journalism. It will be held at 12 p.m. PT on the southwest side of Gloria Molina Grand Park (200 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012) near L.A. City Hall.

Staff will also be participating in Sacramento, Washington and elsewhere; and will be abstaining from work for the day. This is the first newsroom union work stoppage in the history of the Los Angeles Times, which began printing in 1881.

Continue reading “Los Angeles Times goes on strike today”
High Country News logo

High Country News staff form wall-to-wall union

54 years after its humble beginnings as a newspaper in Wyoming, the national magazine’s unionizing efforts will go towards pay parity and equitable working conditions.

Press contact: McKenna Stayner, hcnunion@gmail.com
Website: www.hcnunion.org
Twitter: @HCNUnion Instagram: @HCNWorkers

On Jan. 9, staff at High Country News, a 54-year-old nonprofit magazine that covers lands and communities in the Western U.S., announced their intent to unionize. The High Country News Union has organized with the Communications Workers of America Local 37074, Denver News Guild, joining peers such as the Denver Post and Casper-Star Tribune. On a national scale, High Country News staff joins the ranks of an increasing number of nonprofit newsrooms to unionize, from Grist to CalMatters to ProPublica.

“I’m so excited to see what HCN will become when staff have a real and meaningful say in our workplace. The High Country News Union will be a body to receive and digest all our individual needs and reflect our shared goal of making HCN a better, healthier work environment,” said HCN’s Features Director McKenna Stayner.

Continue reading “High Country News staff form wall-to-wall union”