Last week Gannett, the largest local news publishers, provided us with a prime example of an important legal protection that union members have – maintenance of status quo regarding terms and conditions of employment.
Continue reading “What is ‘status quo’ and how can it protect you from layoffs?”
Hundreds of workers employed by Gannett-owned newsrooms are taking a coordinated lunch break today in response to a string of emails from upper management last week that threatened layoffs due to the company’s second quarter financials. According to Mike Reed, Chairman and CEO, Gannett must “responsibly and proactively [align] resources to our highest strategic priorities and [lower] costs to be in line with revenues.”
Continue reading “Hundreds of Gannett journalists walk out over layoff threat”
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When members of the Washington Post Guild announced last week that they were about to go to the bargaining table, they had an impressive bit of news to share:
“We have been building to this moment for years — nearly doubling membership since the last time we bargained…”
Full stop. That is amazing work by folks at the Post Guild!
Continue reading “Newsletter: WaPo members start bargaining, Gannett still fighting its journalists”
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If you haven’t already signed up for the Guild assembly, “Was that the Reckoning? Addressing anti-Black racism in the news industry,” now’s the time!
The event is at 8 p.m. ET, this Wednesday and will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, the creator of the landmark 1619 Project; NewsGuild of New York President Susan DeCarava; Desiree Stennett, race and equity reporter for the Orlando Sentinel and Erin Logan of the Los Angeles Times.
As unionized media workers, we have an opportunity and the responsibility to hold our employers — and ourselves — accountable. I hope you’ll join us. Register here.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Big wins and a reckoning”
Members of the Newspaper Guild of Detroit picketed the Michiganians of the Year Awards on Thursday to press their demand for a fair contract. The protest was part of a campaign to win community support for workers at the Detroit Free Press, the Observer & Eccentric and the Detroit News, which sponsored the awards event. They’ve been bargaining since February.
Continue reading “Detroit Guilders demand a fair contract”
Workers at a dozen Gannett-owned news outlets in the Atlantic region have racked up some impressive wins recently. The Gannett Regional Union, which reported the victories, includes the Atlantic DOT Guild (Atlantic Digital Optimization Team), APP-MCJ Guild (Asbury Park Press, Courier News and Home News Tribune), Hudson Valley News Guild (The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal and Times Herald-Record), The Record Guild (The Record, Daily Record and New Jersey Herald), Newspaper Guild of Rochester and Utica News Guild.
Continue reading “Gannett Regional Union members score big wins”
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Workers at the Chicago Reader took to the streets to save their publication. Last Tuesday they tweeted “We won,” after co-owner Len Goodman stepped down, ending his attempt to delay the publication’s transition to a nonprofit.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Packing bargaining to deliver a message”
Gannett and GateHouse merged in 2019.
Alden Global Capital gobbled up Tribune Publishing in 2021.
Alden made a play for Lee Enterprises in 2022 – and may make another.
“Consolidation is killing local news,” said NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss. “We will continue to fight consolidation and we call on the federal government to review news industry megamergers by examining how they negatively impact workers, readers, communities, local reporting and U.S. democracy.”
Continue reading “America needs stronger reviews of news company mergers “
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Members of Tribune Publishing Guilds released a study last week documenting rampant pay disparities based on race, gender and ethnicity at more than a dozen Tribunes newsrooms across the country.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Still smiling”
The journalists of the Record-Courier in Portage County, Ohio, won a favorable ruling from the National Labor Relations Board on March 3 and will begin voting on unionization next week.
Continue reading “Record-Courier staffers to vote on unionization”