Journalists at the Austin American-Statesman secured a tentative agreement last week after years of negotiations and a marathon 21-hour session with owner Gannett. The deal, which needs to be ratified by members, comes after more than three years of negotiations, numerous unfair labor practices (ULPs) and relentless pressure from Guild members on management.
“We are thrilled to be able to turn the page on this part of our Guild history,” said Nicole Villalpando, chair of the Austin NewsGuild. “Our members worked incredibly hard to make this happen. We went without raises, picketed, social media shamed the company, went on strike with 100% participation twice, and phone zapped the CEO to make this happen.”
Contract Highlights:
- Minimum Salaries: $50,000 upon hire; $55,000 at five years of service; $60,000 at 10 years.
- General Wage Increases: $1-an-hour raise in the first year and another $1-an-hour raise in the second year.
- Health Insurance: Premiums will remain frozen at the current rate until January 2026.
- Job Protections: Layoffs, if ever needed, would be by inverse order of seniority but with skips. The company could use skips equal to 30% of the pool of reporters/columnists, and equal to 25% of the pool of photographers/videographers/planners.
- Bridge Desk: Employees transitioning to planner roles will receive up to four months to decide whether to continue or take an enhanced severance package.
- Struck Work Protection: Guild members cannot be forced to work for other newspapers if their unionized workers are on strike.
“Mediation worked in Austin because we had the support of our members and clear goals,” said Keri Heath, a member of the bargaining team and unit council. “I’m excited for our contract because its ratification will mean we can provide journalists the security they need to continue producing great work covering our community.”
The tentative agreement spans two years and addresses critical issues around wages, job security and health benefits. The bargaining committee endorsed the contract as laying a solid foundation for future negotiations.
Journalists at the Statesman first launched their union effort as the Austin NewsGuild in December 2020, winning an election in February 2021. Workers withheld their labor in a Gannett-wide strike in June 2023 and struck again for four days in April around the solar eclipse.