FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2024

Contact: Rebekah Entralgo, rentralgo@cwa-union.org (202) 304-2241

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Google’s action to temporarily block California-based news outlets’ content for some state residents in response to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act, as reported in Politico on Friday April, 2024, Jon Schluess – President of The NewsGuild-CWA, Matt Pearce – President of Media Guild of the West TNG-CWA Local 39213, and Annie Sciacca – President of the Pacific Media Workers Guild TNG-CWA Local 39521 have released the following joint statement: 

Washington, DC — Today, a supermajority of eligible 1199SEIU “In House Staff” employees – from New York to Massachusetts to Florida – filed a Union petition with the National Labor Relations Board and demanded voluntary recognition to join WBNG Newsguild-CWA Local 32035.

“We are forming our Union because we deeply believe that all workers—including union staff—deserve dignity, respect, and a democratic voice on the job. We work every day to ensure thousands of healthcare workers from Massachusetts to Florida have a seat at the table and the power to uplift the communities in their care” reads worker organizers’ mission statement.

Journalists at Defense News and Military Times announced they are unionizing and forming the Sightline Media Union. In response, the organizing committee has released the following statement:

Ahead of the solar eclipse on April 8, two Gannett newsrooms — the Austin American-Statesman and the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle — are on strike, withholding their labor on a historic news day to draw attention to the company’s failure to bargain in good faith and respond to the union’s common sense proposals.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released the following statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Contact: Ryan Martin, 202-680-0427

SCHUMER STATEMENT ON THE ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE JOURNALISTS AS THEY SEEK A FAIR CONTRACT WITH GANNETT

New York, N.Y. – A long-time advocate for New York’s local news outlets, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today released the following statement urging Gannett to negotiate in good faith with the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle journalists and reach a fair deal on wages, benefits and working conditions to avoid a strike:

“Local journalism is the glue that keeps our communities together and nowhere is that more true than Rochester, where Gannett was first established nearly a century ago – with the Democrat & Chronicle as its flagship newspaper. I visit every one of New York’s 62 counties each year — many of which depend on Gannett newspapers as a critical source for local news. It breaks my heart to see the decline of these once robust newsrooms with reporters who are struggling to get by and newsrooms without enough reporters to cover many of the important local stories that are foundational to a well-informed citizenry and a healthy democracy. I urge Gannett to stay at the table and negotiate in good faith with the union to reach a fair deal on wages, benefits, working conditions, and investments to create the robust well-supported newsrooms our communities need. I stand in solidarity with the journalists at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle as they pursue the fair contract and benefits they deserve.”

After nearly three years of bargaining for a first contract with Gannett, the award-winning journalists at the Austin American-Statesman are on strike! The Austin NewsGuild is on a four day unfair labor practice strike starting today, April 5, over the company’s failure to bargain in good faith and respond to the union’s common sense proposals. This is the 28th NewsGuild-CWA strike of 2024 so far.

After nearly three years of bargaining for a first contract with Gannett, the award-winning journalists at the Austin American-Statesman are starting a four day unfair labor practice strike over the company’s bad faith bargaining.

The Austin journalists demand Gannett CEO Mike Reed and company leadership bargain in good faith and respond to the union’s common sense proposals.

It is time Gannett treat its employees with respect. The Austin NewsGuild deserves a fair contract.

Here’s how you can support the strikers:

• Do not click on any Austin American-Statesman links from April 5-9.
• Join the picket line on April 5 at 12 PM local time on the S. Congress bridge.
• Donate to their strike fund.
• Sign their petition.
• Amplify their social media.

The four day ULP strike coincides with the solar eclipse, which will travel directly over central Texas on April 8. With the news that Gannett will drop the Associated Press, Austin American-Statesman readers will find no coverage of the eclipse on their website, underscoring the need for strong local journalism and exposing Gannett’s bad faith bargaining.

The strikers stand ready to meet with the company to reach a fair contract.

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2024

Media Contacts: 

Asya Pikovsky, asya.pikovsky@gmail.com, 207-522-2442 (remote)

Gary Craig, thebrinksheist@gmail.com, 585-233-1107 (on-the-ground)

ROCHESTER – Unionized reporters at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle have voted to strike this Saturday, April 6, ahead of the eclipse in western New York that’s set to take over media coverage in the Rochester region. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 29, 2023, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)  while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg. A Russian court on March 26, 2024 extended Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention until at least June 30.