Staffers at The Bulletin and The Redmond Spokesman vote to unionize

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. 

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Logo of the Southern California News Group

Journalists at 11 SCNG newspapers hold 1-Day Walkout

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.”

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Members of the Law360 Union, part of the NewsGuild of New York, pose for a photo

Law360 workers walk off the job in one-day action protesting management’s threats, unlawful conduct at the bargaining table

Contact: Jen Sheehan, jen@nyguid.org, 610-573-0740

NEW YORK – Unionized editorial workers at Law360  — who have had enough of parent company LexisNexis execs’ illegal tactics and stalling at the bargaining table — will hold a one-day strike on Wednesday, highlighted by a mid-afternoon rally and a day-long picket line outside corporate headquarters in New York City.

Readers of the legal news service are urged not to cross the digital picket line Wednesday.  

The work stoppage comes after The NewsGuild of New York filed an unfair labor practice charge on behalf of Law360 Union against LexisNexis on Tuesday. The basis of the charge is a Nov. 16 bargaining session in which LexisNexis representatives threatened Guild members with less favorable terms the longer negotiations continue. Regressive bargaining is a form of bad faith bargaining, in which one side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they had previously offered. 

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Graphic of the Washington Post strike on Thursday, December 7 showing a large group of workers marching with picket signs in the shape of a letter "G" for Guild

Washington Post workers go on strike today

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.

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View of the Federal Communications Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

Media unions applaud FCC’s proposed rulemaking to support local news

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.” 

NewsGuild-CWA renews call to protect journalists abroad and at home as Israel-Hamas War continues

On November 9, The NewsGuild-CWA condemned the killing of 39 journalists and media workers in the Israel-Hamas War. Since that time, roughly 20 more have been killed and many others have been injured, harassed and detained. As stated by the Committee to Protect Journalists, this has been the deadliest month for journalists since they started gathering data in 1992. 

The nearly 60 known dead include 50 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese. Many currently reporting from Gaza have lost homes and family, and are reporting without regular access to phones, internet, shelter or power.

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Photo of the staff of The Southern Illinoisan

Workers denounce plans to sell The Southern Illinoisan

The Unions of Lee Enterprises is denouncing plans by Lee Enterprises to sell The Southern Illinoisan newspaper to Paxton Media Group under terms that will result in the elimination of all the local journalists who currently work for it.

Despite pronouncements by Paxton Media on Oct. 27 that it will foster “community-based journalism” and “expand” coverage through the purchase of The Southern Illinoisan, the entire union-represented newsroom has been told they should clear out their desks by Nov. 24.

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Statement on the Israel-Gaza war

The NewsGuild-CWA, America’s largest union of journalists, strongly condemns the killing of journalists in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon and calls on all parties to ensure the safety of journalists in the region to work without threat or interference. 

The union additionally condemns comments made on Thursday by Benny Gantz, a minister in the Israeli government and former defense minister, who compared journalists to “terrorists” in a post about Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel. 

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TVO strikers on the picket line on Halloween in 2023

Workers at TVO ratified a new contract, ending strike

Canadian Media Guild members at TVO ratified a collective agreement with their employer Sunday, ending a 77-day strike by more than 70 workers who produce current affairs, online news, educational programming and other news at the public broadcaster in Ontario.

Other unions, politicians and fans of TVO programming stood up and held the employer to account. The new agreement increases wages 7.5% over three years and provides a pathway for members to change jobs within the organization. Workers will also have access to $500 a year for training and a voluntary buyout program.

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United Media Guild logo

Workers at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri unionize

Last week about 80 lawyers, paralegals and other workers at the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri unionized with the United Media Guild, TNG-CWA Local 36047.

The workers provide high-quality legal services to low-opportunity clients and communities. The group advances justice for low-income and marginalized individuals and families through free legal representation, eduction and supportive services for folks over 65 years old.

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