Oct. 12, 2017 – NewsGuild-CWA members at The Associated Press Washington Bureau pressed their demands for a fair contract as they greeted managers and Guild colleagues outside a dinner organized by the AP on Oct. 10. The dinner coincided with an editors’ conference.
Decked out in red T-shirts, the Guild group held up signs, handed out flyers, and talked about their contract demands with managers and co-workers who were attending the dinner.
“We are proud to stand in solidarity with our negotiators and were able to convey that important message to the highest levels of AP management,” said Michele Salcedo, who coordinated the action.
AP managers seemed to be caught off guard, but engaged with the protesters. Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Sally Buzbee said, “Thank you for letting us know what’s important to you.”
“We’re so surprised to see you here,” said Ken Guggenheim, a Washington Bureau news editor.
But Guild members were pleased. “I am so glad to see you all out here,” said Errin Haines Whack, a member of the national Race and Ethnicity team, who joined the News Media Guild last month.
The local represents AP employees throughout the country, as well as at the Guardian-US and EFE, the world’s largest Spanish-language news service.