Radio Free Asia may soon be getting its Congressionally-mandated funding [again]. Late Wednesday the full bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit lifted a stay that had blocked a preliminary injunction ordering the U.S. Agency for Global Media to distribute Congressionally mandated funds to grantees including Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and others. We’ve got about 100 members at Radio Free Asia and the vast majority were furloughed in March after President Trump signed an executive order essentially shuttering the agency and several newsrooms.
We filed suit alongside other unions and journalists to restore RFA’s funding and return them and Voice of America journalists and media workers back to their jobs. We’ve been winning in court, but the U.S. Agency for Global Media has been slow to send the funding Congress approved. RFA management was planning to lay off virtually everyone, but pulled back after the court’s order directed the agency to start paying RFA again.
That’s a good sign, but the situation is still quite rough. We have several members who are on visas to work in the U.S. and we have several others who depend on the health insurance they get through RFA. We’re focused on getting as many of them back to work as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, RFA Guild members have also been talking to lawmakers on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to work with the administration to fully restore RFA’s operations and protect press freedom abroad.
Susan DeCarava, President of the NY NewsGuild, just made history. The NYC Central Labor Council is honoring her with the Visionary Award—making her the first-ever president of The NewsGuild of New York to receive the prestigious recognition in its nearly 60-year history.
Under her tenure, the NewsGuild of New York has doubled its number of new members, won standard-setting contracts—including for Times Tech, the largest unit of tech workers in the country—and led organizing drives that inspired works across the country. Susan will be honored at the NYC CLC Awards Reception tonight.
“I am so honored to receive the NYCCLC’s Visionary Award, especially in the company of all the dedicated labor leaders working to improve what it means to work and live in our great city. As someone who comes from the rank-and-file of our union, it is one of the greatest privileges of my professional life to work collectively with NYGuild members to build a deeply organized, worker-powered union,” DeCarava said.
Susan is a visionary leader who has pushed our entire union to fight for and win things we used to believe impossible. She’s helped organize thousands of workers, led several dozen strikes and she’s raised the standards of the news industry. And Susan builds up others, which truly makes her a great leader. She’s a mentor to hundreds of members in our union, myself included.
Guild members are setting the standard on AI as more than three dozen contracts now include protections against employer misuse of artificial intelligence—safeguarding jobs, requiring human oversight and blocking AI from replacing or undercutting union work.
Some employers have already been publicly embarrassed for publishing false, misleading or problematic posts. Our members have fought back with public campaigns, strikes and tough bargaining to win clear rules: AI can’t be used to cause layoffs, reduce pay or appear without being labeled as “AI-generated content”.
From Ziff Davis to Politico to NYT Tech, we’re showing what it means to protect journalism in the age of automation. If you are a NewsGuild-CWA member, leader or staffer who wants to learn more, email dnewsome@cwa-union.org to be invited to our quarterly AI meetings and gain access to member resources.
As Washington Post Tech workers began receiving in their ballots for their union election, tech workers at the New York Times Guild sent an inspiring message of support and solidarity. NYT Tech workers shared why they organized and why they’re backing the Post’s union effort.
“We see you, we’ve been there before and we believe that you can win too,” said NYT tech workers in a new video on Instagram:
Another round of devastating layoffs at the L.A. Times, marking the third round of layoffs in three years and shrinking the newsroom by another 6%. Fourteen more Guild members are being cut this time around. The Los Angeles Times Guild says the blame lies not with workers, but with failed leadership, a stubborn reliance on shrinking print revenue and a mishandled presidential endorsement that alienated readers.
Some of those laid off will receive little severance and are facing serious financial hardship. You can help them cover rent, medical bills and basic expenses by donating to the GoFundMe here.
“It’s been a really tough year for The Times, and we’re mourning the loss of cherished colleagues and their institutional knowledge of journalism and Southern California,” said Laura Nelson, a reporter at the paper who is helping distribute the nearly $25,000 raised so far. “We hope we can show them how much they matter. Thank you for your continued support.”
In Houston, Houston Landing journalists are also fighting for fairness after management abruptly shut down the nonprofit newsroom, 21 Guild members were laid off and offered just four weeks’ pay. Workers are now bargaining the effects of the closure and facing major pushback from management.
How to help:
Sign the letter urging Houston Landing’s leadership to offer fair severance.
Donate here to help laid-off workers navigate rent, health care costs and student debt.
These fights aren’t just about layoffs—they’re about dignity, respect and the future of journalism. Let’s continue to show up for each other as a united Guild family.
Guild members shine at The Pulitzer Prizes with more than a dozen NewsGuild-CWA newsrooms being honored by The Pulitzer Prizes for their powerful and essential reporting. Winners included members at ProPublica, The Washington Post, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times—recognized for groundbreaking work on topics ranging from maternal health under abortion bans to the fentanyl crisis and the conflict in Sudan. Finalists spanned even more Guild shops, including the AP, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle and the Center for Public Integrity, whose staff lost their jobs after the organization shut down.
See the full list of Guild-affiliated winners and finalists here.
ProPublica management denied steward representation to workers just days after ProPublica journalists won one of the highest honors at the Pulitzer Prizes. Management informed two union members they’d be placed on Performance Improvement Plans, and then refused to allow union stewards in the meetings.
“Blocking stewards from these meetings is out of step with our industry and the principles of fairness the newsroom claims to uphold,” workers wrote. These award-winning journalists deserve respect and accountability—not opaque discipline and exclusion.
CWA condemns Trump’s attack on public media as CWA, NABET and The NewsGuild call out President Trump’s recent executive order in a statement last week as an unlawful assault on press freedom and public broadcasting.
The order targets local NPR and PBS stations funded through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and aims to undercut trusted local news outlets that millions rely on. “This is an attack on workers and an attack on our communities,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. “Working people are at the heart of local news.” I added that this was an attack on our rights to a free press and called on folks to become a regular donor to their local public station today. Read the full statement here.
Cascade PBS workers ratified a new contract with big wins after nine months of tough bargaining and several pickets outside the newsroom. The new contract includes an average raise of 6.76% immediately and an average 18.3% wage increase over its duration. Workers also fought for and won improvements to paid parental leave and work-life balance. This marks the second contract for the unit since organizing in 2019—and a major step forward in raising standards for public media journalists in Seattle.
Journalists at the San Jose Mercury News were caught off guard by MediaNews Group’s acquisition of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, announced earlier this month. The news came as a surprise to workers who have gone more than eight years without a raise, even as contract negotiations remain stalled.
The Guild has been locked in stalled contract negotiations, with the company demanding concessions just to offer less than a 3% annual raise. “It is an insult to our intelligence and ultimately to our dignity to continue in this manner,” they said in a recent statement. They welcomed their new colleagues in Santa Rosa and emphasized the need for MediaNews Group to treat employees and readers across California with respect.
The Chicago NewsGuild is hiring a full-time staff organizer based in the heart of the American labor movement. This is a hands-on, member-focused role for someone ready to build strong union shops, support bargaining and grievances and help grow membership across newspapers, nonprofits, interpreter units and more. Salary ranges from $65,000–$75,000. Apply by May 22 by sending a résumé, cover letter and three references to president@chicagonewsguild.org. View the full job description here.
This Mother’s Day, we’re honoring the fierce, loving and powerful moms in our union past and present. From strike HQs to picket lines, mothers have always been at the heart of our movement. They fight not just for better workplaces, but for better lives for their families, their coworkers and their communities.
Look at these historic photos below to see “strike babies” from Guild history—born into struggle, raised in solidarity. To all the union moms: thank you. We see you. We’ve got your back.
In solidarity,
Jon Schleuss
President, The NewsGuild-CWA