Blog | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

Workers at Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune, Courier News are Unionizing

The APP-MCJ Guild is the fourth Gannett group to organize with the NewsGuild of New York this year.

Journalists at the Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune and Courier News announced Aug. 19 that they are unionizing. With more than 70% of eligible staffers signed on, the APP-MCJ Guild has requested voluntary recognition from Gannett management, which own the publications. They will become part of The NewsGuild of New York Local 31003.

Pay study of New York Magazine reveals ‘glaring inequities,’ union finds

Unionized journalists at New York Magazine released a pay study on Aug. 12 that found “glaring inequities.”

Digital Producers at the Atlantic Digital Optimization Team Win Union Vote

Digital Producers at the Atlantic Digital Optimization Team voted to be represented by The NewsGuild of New York Local 31003 in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board that concluded Wednesday. The 21-person unit consists of digital producers across five states that make up Gannett’s Atlantic region.

NYT Guild Tech Walkout: Let them vote!

After months of unlawful union-busting tactics by management of the New York Times, members of NYT Guild Tech staged a virtual walkout on Wednesday. Workers said they were protesting management’s continued unfair labor practices that seek to divide their union and prevent hundreds of workers from voting in an upcoming National Labor Relations Board vote on union representation.

Democracy Workers Collective wins union recognition

Staffers at the civic tech nonprofit Democracy Works won voluntary recognition of their union, the Democracy Workers Collective, Aug. 10, 28 days after announcing their union drive. They join News Media Guild Local 31222.

NewsGuild, ACLU, NABJ Urge Department of Justice to Adopt Permanent Protections for Journalists

The NewsGuild-CWA has joined with the ACLU and National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to call on the Department of Justice to adopt permanent protections for journalists and other observers covering protests.

The DOJ should enshrine a prohibition against arresting, threatening to arrest, or using force against journalists and legal observers in the department’s law enforcement guidelines unless there is probable cause to believe the journalists or observers committed a crime, the organizations said in an Aug. 6 letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

NewsGuild mourns the death of Richard Trumka

The NewsGuild-CWA joins workers across the U.S. and around the world in mourning the death of Richard L. Trumka.

Rich dedicated his life to fighting for the rights and dignity of workers, from his earliest days in the minefields of Pennsylvania until his death as president of the AFL-CIO.

High Participation Public Actions Get the Goods

Editor’s Note: This article was first posted on Aug. 3, 2021, on the website of The NewsGuild of New York.

A transformation is underway in our union. We are moving away from the business-as-usual servicing model that has come to dominate the labor movement over the past 70 years, much to the benefit of employers, and toward the organizing model that gives workers real power in the workplace.

These two approaches stem from different conceptions about where our power lies. The service model views the union as a vending machine, where someone puts their dues in and expects to get a grievance or contract out. But the organizing model is rooted in the understanding that our real power comes through unity and collective action. If we want to settle big grievances or win a strong contract, then we have to be willing to fight together to win it.

Update on harassment report

Updated: Aug. 4, 2021 4:40 p.m. (with original post below)

For months, our members and our task force were waiting for the arrival of a report from an outside consultant to provide insights on the culture of the Pittsburgh local now and in the past, and offer recommendations for a path forward. The report, which is the result of the listening series conducted by consultant Rebecca Feaster, was originally scheduled to be released today, Wednesday, Aug. 4, as we previously announced in a statement from our task force on Tuesday.

However, there are concerns that certain aspects of the report could potentially reveal people who want to remain anonymous. Our goal is to protect the members involved in this process and make sure their identities are not revealed. At this time, we feel it best to postpone our timeline, including this week’s meetings.