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). 

Continue reading “Daily Hampshire Gazette workers end year by ratifying first contract”

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.

Continue reading “Newsletter: Four first contracts before the new year!”

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.

Continue reading “MinnPost Union wins first contract, becoming the third Guild unit this week”

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.

Continue reading “Wirecutter Union reaches deal with NY Times on first contract”

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.

Continue reading “VTDigger Guild ratifies first collective bargaining agreement”

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.

Continue reading “Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald journalists condemn management’s stalling”

M+R Union ratifies much-improved second contract

The M+R Union ratified its second collective bargaining agreement with 100% of its 72 members voting yes, the group announced on Tuesday. M+R Union represents staffers at M+R, a firm that works for nonprofits “fighting for a just and sustainable world.”

The biggest win is a new compensation structure with a $62.4k floor. Members will get a median raise of $10k and a median bonus of $6.5k at ratification, with the biggest raises going to those who currently earn the least.

Continue reading “M+R Union ratifies much-improved second contract”

Florida journalists rally for local news, fair contracts

Dozens of Florida journalists rallied outside five Gannett-owned newspapers across the state on Monday, seeking support for fair contracts and for local news. The events were the first coordinated action among the state’s unionized Gannett papers.

Union members stood on busy street corners near their offices, holding signs, making noise, and talking to passersby about the crisis facing local news: extremely low pay, staffing that’s insufficient to properly cover their communities, a push toward regional – rather than local – coverage, and unending rounds of cutbacks.

Continue reading “Florida journalists rally for local news, fair contracts”

Newsletter: Happy StrikeMás!

Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.

First! We’ve got a couple job openings at the Guild international. The first is for a staff representative, who would play the role of director of collective bargaining. This position has been vacant since Melissa Nelson retired in 2018. This person would review contract language and be a clearinghouse for organizing the trends happening across the Guild’s collective bargaining program and keeping folks coordinated. It’ll be a huge asset to our locals, who have asked for more support.

Continue reading “Newsletter: Happy StrikeMás!”