The NewsGuild-CWA | The NewsGuild

Michigan United workers ratify first union contract

Contact: Daniel Caracheo Teniente, (616) 287-3234, soul.of.mu.mpc@gmail.com

Workers at the Statewide Organized United Labor of Michigan United and Michigan United Action have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. This victory is the culmination of nearly a year and a half of negotiations and over three years of workers exercising their rights to organize their workplace. Workers unionized with the Newspaper Guild of Detroit, TNG-CWA Local 34022.

“We are proud of this victory,” said Danny Caracheo, the bargaining unit chair. “Through our CBA, we have codified the existing progressive policies that Michigan United already had in place and won new policies that will make Michigan United a more fair and equitable workplace.”

Matt Pearce, president of the Media Guild of the West, testifying at the California Senate Judiciary Committee about the California Journalism Preservation Act

California Journalism Preservation Act advances through California Senate Judiciary Committee

The California Senate Judiciary Committee passed the California Journalism Preservation Act (AB 886) on Tuesday with a vote of 9-2 during a scheduled hearing. The bill, introduced by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, now advances to the Appropriations committee before a final vote on the California Senate floor.

The NewsGuild-CWA, Media Guild of the West (TNG-CWA Local 39213) and Pacific Media Workers Guild (TNG-CWA Local 39521) are supporters of the California Journalism Preservation Act, having worked alongside Assembly Member Buffy Wick’s team to make several improvement to the bill that would benefit union journalism jobs across the state. The legislation also has the support of NABET-CWA, SAG-AFTRA, the California News Publishers Association and many individual publishers.

How you can follow Texas Guild members

On Tuesday NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss joined Rep. Greg Casar on Instagram Live to talk about the labor movement and unionizing in Texas. The Guild represents more than 260 journalists across six newsrooms in Texas at the Media Guild of the West. Interested in unionizing your newsroom? Contact Media Guild of the West here!

And you can follow unionized journalists below or supporting them when they’re on strike!

Everett Herald union workers to hold one-day strike, picket in Everett on June 24

Following the layoff of 10 union workers and two editors, Herald reporters, photographers, editors and designers and community members plan to picket to save jobs

Everett NewsGuild Layoff Picket
9am – 3pm PT Monday, June 24
LOCATION: Starting at the intersection of Colby and Hewitt in downtown
Everett, ending at the intersection of Colby and 41st near the Herald office.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2022

Kaitlin Gillespie
Executive officer, Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild
(206) 669-3562 │Guild37082@gmail.com

Sydney Jackson
Health reporter, NewsGuild member on the bargaining committee
(714) 791-8432 │ EverettNewsGuild@gmail.com

On Monday, June 24, at 9:00 a.m., instead of clocking into work at The Everett Herald, Everett NewsGuild members, represented by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, will participate in a one-day strike and picket in downtown Everett.

After a wave of layoffs Wednesday that cut newsroom staff in half, including 10 of 18 union workers, the Everett NewsGuild is asking new owner Carpenter Media Group to come to the bargaining table and reinstate these jobs.

WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times unions vote no confidence in Chicago Public Media CEO Matt Moog

Contact:
WBEZ SAG-AFTRA Union: yourcpmunion@gmail.com
Chicago Sun-Times Guild: suntimesguild@gmail.com

CHICAGO – The Sun-Times Guild and the SAG-AFTRA units at WBEZ and Vocalo have held votes of no confidence in Matt Moog as Chicago Public Media CEO, Chicago Sun-Times president and a Chicago Sun-Times Media board member. The combined units overwhelmingly voted no confidence in Mr. Moog over the weekend: 86% of members took part in the vote, and 96% of those members – or 114 – voted no confidence.

Group of unions show strong support for California Journalism Preservation Act

Several unions including The NewsGuild-CWA, SAG-AFTRA, NABET-CWA, the National Writers Union and local unions signed onto a letter enthusiastically supporting the California Journalism Preservation Act, Assembly Bill 886.

The legislation would unlock millions of dollars a year to support journalism jobs in the largest state in the U.S. and follows other journalism jobs bills that The NewsGuild-CWA helped pass in New York and Illinois.

Omaha World-Herald journalists secure new contract

Nebraska journalists at the Omaha World-Herald Guild are celebrating a new two-year contract with Lee Enterprises. The contract – the Guild’s third with the company – was passed unanimously and guarantees multiple wage increases, immediate raises for all union members, new protections from Artificial Intelligence, expanded bereavement definition and more. Journalists in Omaha first unionized in October 2018 and are part of the Denver Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA Local 37074).

The AI protections include negotiations over any effects of new AI policies or technologies and a requirement that any AI generated content will be clearly labeled. Raises include 3% in each of the two years of the agreement.

Annual per capita adjustment takes effect in May 2024

Based on a review of the latest collective bargaining agreements, the 2024 per capita payment due to The NewsGuild-CWA is $24.73, based off a calculation of the average reporter top minimum wage. See all wages here. Review the constitution here.

Labor relations board announces it’s seeking an injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that it is seeking an injunction pursuant to Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for dozens of ongoing unfair labor practice violations of federal law, 18 months after workers struck to compel the newspaper to follow the law and provide health insurance to workers.

In October 2022, Post-Gazette management unilaterally cut off the health care of its production, advertising, and distribution workers by refusing to pay a $19-per-week increase in health care costs. The workers, represented by CWA, PPPWU, and Teamsters local unions, went on strike on Oct. 6.

New York legislature passes historic journalism jobs tax credit

The New York Assembly and Senate on Saturday passed a first-of-its-kind journalism jobs tax credit in the 2025 budget. The credits will become law when New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs the state budget.

The job tax credits were first introduced as the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (S.625-Hoylman-Sigal/A.2958-Woerner). The final budget language provides $30 million in tax credits each year over three years, covering half of a journalist’s salary up to $50,000 each year. Publishers will only be able to use these employment tax credits to rebuild their newsrooms by hiring new reporters and retaining current staff.

The organizing effort for this initiative has been spearheaded by the Albany Newspaper Guild, New York News Publishers Association, the New York State AFL-CIO, The NewsGuild-CWA and the Communications Workers of America beginning in 2022.