Author: The NewsGuild-CWA

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.

On Monday, every journalist at The Evansville Courier & Press in southwestern Indiana signed a union card and asked parent company Gannett to voluntarily recognize their union.

On Tuesday, workers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for an election.

“We want to ensure a future for ourselves and news in Evansville,” said Sarah Loesch, a government reporter at the Courier & Press.

Washington, D.C. – A supermajority of employees at CQ Roll Call have decided to form a union to fight for stronger job protections, better pay and benefits, and a louder voice in newsroom decisions. 

For decades, CQ Roll Call’s award-winning journalists have played a critical role in holding our nation’s leaders accountable and keeping readers informed about the inner workings of Congress. But under current management, reporters, photographers and legislative trackers have been asked to do more with less after multiple rounds of layoffs and the company’s refusal to fill open positions. 

Media contact:
centraloregonnewsguild@gmail.com

The reporters, photographers and news assistants of The Bulletin and The Redmond Spokesman announced Tuesday their successful vote to form the Central Oregon NewsGuild. 

After EO Media Group declined to voluntarily recognize the Central Oregon NewsGuild in October, the overwhelming majority of employees voted in favor of union representation this month. 

Contact: Charlie Vargas, (909) 275-9669; SCNG News Guild, juancharlievargas740@gmail.com

Journalists at 11 daily newspapers in Southern California are walked out Thursday, Dec. 14.

“We are simply seeking fair wages so that we don’t have to struggle to afford living in the communities we cover,” said SCNG Guild unit chair Sean Emery, a courts and crime reporter. “We believe in local news, and our communities deserve robust coverage. But choosing a career in journalism should not require a virtual vow of poverty. It is time for the members of our newsroom to be paid what they are worth.”

At midnight today workers at the Washington Post started a 24-hour unfair labor practice strike over the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith.

After 18 months of bargaining with Washington Post, Guild workers — including reporters, editors, cartoonists, visual journalists, advertising sales people and circulation drivers — walked out. Despite a year and a half of efforts, Post management has refused to bargain in good faith for a fair contract that keeps up with inflation and the Post’s competition.

NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico and NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss released a statement in support of Federal Communications Commission Chair Rosenworcel’s announcement on a proposed rulemaking to support local journalism by prioritizing license application review for broadcasters that provide locally originated programming:

“American democracy depends on every citizen having easy access to local news coverage that provides credible, factual information they need to make informed decisions about their health, their safety, their government and their lives. Yet a rise in local news deserts, communities without access to local news, threatens the livelihood and wellbeing of our communities and our democracy. In the last decade thousands of local newspapers have shut their doors and half of all journalist jobs have disappeared. 

“We must do everything we can to protect and bolster local news coverage and the journalists and media workers who help bring us the news. That’s why we applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s announcement on the proposed rulemaking to support local journalism. We look forward to working with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure our members can have a future in local journalism and our communities are served by the news they deserve.”