Blog | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

Wrapping up a record year with workers unafraid to strike

There’s no denying it: 2021 was a bang-up year for NewsGuild union organizing. Journalists, staffers at nonprofits and employees of publishing houses stood up in record numbers and demanded a voice at work.

In all, 2,128 workers fought for and won union recognition at 42 new workplaces.

Column chart showing numbers of workers unionizing with NewsGuild-CWA from 2015 through 2021, with 2,128 workers joining the union in 2021.

But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. NewsGuild members embraced a new sense of empowerment, engaging in increasingly militant actions when management stalled, violated labor law or refused to bargain. 2021 was the year of workers demanding more respect and NewsGuild members played an active part.

Daily Hampshire Gazette workers end year by ratifying first contract

Unionized workers at the Daily Hampshire Gazette ended 2021 by ratifying their first contract, securing important victories after more than two years of negotiating with the Gazette’s owners, Newspapers of New England (NNE).

NewsGuild speaks out against pension funds investing in Cerberus, the ‘shadow banker’ behind Alden Global Capital

Editor’s Note: The article first appeared on SaveLocalNews.org on Dec. 22, 2021.

Members of The NewsGuild are speaking out to public pension funds about their support of a company that has financed the destruction of local news.

Newsletter: Four first contracts before the new year!

Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.

Four units won first contracts last week! That’s an amazing number — one that reflects our intensified focus on getting agreements and building escalating actions.

Former Guild staffer Kathy Mulvey Brennan dies

NewsGuild leaders were saddened to learn of the passing of Kathy Mulvey Brennan, who died today after a brief illness.

Kathy came to work for the Guild in 1997, after serving as a staffer at both the American Federation of Government Employees and the Office and Professional Employees International Union. She retired as the director of contract administration and previously was the office manager and Guild coordinator. She was predeceased by her husband, Bob Brennan, who was also a staffer of the Communications Workers of America.

MinnPost Union wins first contract, becoming the third Guild unit this week

Workers at MinnPost, a digital nonprofit news organization, ratified their first collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday, less than seven months after they won voluntary union recognition. They were the third NewsGuild unit this week to announce a new contract.

Wirecutter Union reaches deal with NY Times on first contract

Workers at Wirecutter announced Tuesday that after two years of bargaining and a five-day strike, they have reached an agreement with the New York Times on a first contract.

Union members won immediate average wage increases of approximately $5,000, with the lowest paid members receiving a raise of more than 18%. They also won minimum increases of 2.5% per year for those in lower pay bands and 2% for those in higher bands.

VTDigger Guild ratifies first collective bargaining agreement

Members of the VTDigger Guild have unanimously ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with the Vermont Journalism Trust, which operates the nonprofit digital news site. VTDigger is the state’s largest newsroom.

We’re hiring an organizer!

Media employees at print and digital publications around the country are organizing in record numbers. Journalists at outlets such as Politico, New York Daily News, Dallas Morning News, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New Yorker, and BuzzFeed are among the more than 6,000 workers that have organized since 2015. In the face of a consolidating industry increasingly run by hedge funds and private equity firms, workers are demanding fair pay, job security and the preservation of quality journalism.

These workers are organizing with The NewsGuild, a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a dynamic, member-led union that is building a movement for social and economic justice. TNG-CWA seeks a highly experienced and motivated campaign lead to serve as a lead organizer on campaigns at media companies around the country.

Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald journalists condemn management’s stalling

Journalists of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald condemned the publications’ parent company at a press conference on Saturday, accusing McClatchy of stalling on contract talks, perpetuating pay disparities, and using a pregnant staffer as a bargaining chip in bargaining over parental leave. Contract talks began almost two years ago after workers at the largest newsroom union in Florida organized.

“McClatchy needs to do better,” said Joey Flechas, co-chair of One Herald Guild. “McClatchy has not agreed to a wage system that would address longstanding inequalities between journalists at el Nuevo Herald and Miami Herald.” Veteran journalists at el Nuevo Herald, some with several decades of experience, earn far less than their counterparts at the Miami Herald, he said.