The 12 unionized newsrooms of Lee Enterprises implored the Board of Directors to reject any offer by Alden Global Capital to acquire the company in a letter dated Nov. 29.
Calling Alden’s claim that it is committed to the newspaper industry a “bald-faced lie,” they urged Lee’s board to, “Stand up for us. Stand up for your investors. Stand up for your communities. Stand up against Alden.”
Continue reading “Guild leaders urge Lee board to continue the fight against Alden”
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on the website of DFMworkers.org on Nov. 23, 2021.
The executives at Florida-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital must be restless.
No longer content with extracting the lifeblood from two of the nation’s largest local newspaper chains, it’s now stalking Lee Enterprises.
Alden announced, via a Monday-morning press release, that it wants to buy all of Lee Enterprises for $24 a share, in cash.
Continue reading “Alden’s sleight-of-hand bid demands a closer look”
The union is calling on Lee’s board to reject Alden’s takeover bid.
The NewsGuild-CWA denounces the purchase offer made yesterday by Alden Global Capital for Lee Enterprises. If advanced, the deal would give Alden control of three of the four largest chains of newspapers in the United States. Such industry concentration would have a negative impact on consumers who depend on local news, employees who work for Lee papers and on our democracy.
Continue reading “NewsGuild denounces Alden’s continued bid to destroy local news”
While dismissing a charge by the NY Guild, the agency gave workers a big win.
The National Labor Relations Board dismissed an Unfair Labor Practice charge by the NewsGuild of New York on Wednesday but upheld the union’s most important claim: Management has an obligation to bargain with the union over return-to-office plans and vaccine mandates.
Continue reading “NLRB: Return-to-Office Plans are a Mandatory Subject of Bargaining”
Earlier this morning the U.S. House passed the “Build Back Better” reconciliation plan, which included the key provision we’ve supported in the Local Journalism Sustainability Act: saving local news journalists.
Continue reading “NewsGuild applauds House support for local news jobs”
Members of three New York Times bargaining units joined forces on Tuesday to deliver a message to management: Stop union busting. Respect our union.
Continue reading “New York Times workers protest at the company’s doorstep”
Update: Warehouse Workers for Justice Union won voluntary recognition from management of the organization on Jan. 14, 2022.
Staffers at Warehouse Workers for Justice announced Friday that they are forming a union as part of the Chicago Local 34071 of The NewsGuild-CWA.
Continue reading “Staffers at Warehouse Workers for Justice are forming a union”
In a unanimous 72-0 vote, full-time faculty at Point Park University ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on Nov. 10. They are part of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh Local 38061.
Key provisions of the three-year agreement include annual salary increases of 3.5%-4.25% percent; increases in the minimum salaries for all full-time faculty positions, with lecturers’ minimum salaries increasing by 12-15% this academic year, and four weeks of parental leave with 100% pay, with parents who give birth continuing to be eligible for short-term disability beyond four weeks if they are unable to work. Pay increases will be retroactive to the start of the fall semester.
Continue reading “Full-time faculty at Point Park University ratifies new contract”
The staffers of POLITICO and E&E News won voluntary recognition of their union, PEN Guild, on Tuesday, 10 days after they announced they were unionizing. They praised “the good faith negotiations” that led to the agreement and said they “look forward to continuing that spirit in contract talks.”
Continue reading “Politico, E&E staffers win union recognition”
Staffers at Wirecutter, the product-review company owned by the New York Times, announced plans to walkout during Black Friday week, the site’s busiest week of the year. They are protesting management’s refusal to bargain in good faith with members of the Wirecutter Union, including failing to provide information necessary to negotiate over wages. The issues at stake include in negotiations include higher pay minimums, annual guaranteed raises, caps on increases to healthcare costs, and banning non-disclosure agreements for cases of harassment and discrimination.
Continue reading “Union members at NY Times’ Wirecutter announce walkout during Black Friday week”