News | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

4 new TNG contracts include rare maternity leave language

By Martha Waggoner, Guild International Chair

It’s a big accomplishment to get a first contract, as four recently organized units within The NewsGuild-CWA have done.

But to get contract language that’s rare, if not unprecedented within TNG, well, that’s cause for even more of a reason for celebration.

The contracts for units at Gatehouse newspapers in Springfield and Rockford in Illinois, and at Lakeland and Sarasota in Florida, include language that protect the beats of female reporters when they return from maternity leave. The language says not only do the women return to work, but they also return to their same beats.

The language came from bargaining at Springfield, where the local’s bargaining team noticed that some women were assigned less prestigious beats when they returned from maternity leave. One reporter had burst into tears in the newsroom when she learned she was pregnant because she had seen a colleague lose her beat after her pregnancy.

Continue reading “4 new TNG contracts include rare maternity leave language”

Three Maryland Community Newsrooms Are Organizing

Nov. 14, 2018 – Journalists of the Capital Gazette, the Carroll County Times and the Baltimore Sun Media Group – all based in Maryland – are uniting to demand union recognition from their employers, they announced on Nov. 14. Continue reading “Three Maryland Community Newsrooms Are Organizing”

Staff of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Valley Advocate, Petition for Union

Nov. 12, 2018 – Employees at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Valley Advocate are forming a union, organizers have announced.

“We are taking this step to advocate for ourselves and for the future of this vital community institution,” they said in a press statement. Continue reading “Staff of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Valley Advocate, Petition for Union”

Staff of the Daily Hampshire Gazette Form Union

For Immediate Release – Nov. 12, 2018

Contact: Brenda Nelson, Librarian, (413) 627-2431
Dusty Christenson, Staff Writer, (678) 507-9951
Bera Dunau, Staff Writer, (607) 644-7836
Dane Kuttler, Classified Advertising Representative, (201) 835-4602
Dave Eisenstadter, Swing Editor, (603) 762-1273

Nov. 12, 2018 – We, the members of the Pioneer Valley NewsGuild, have decided to form a labor union at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Valley Advocate, and are seeking voluntary recognition from ownership. We are taking this step to advocate for ourselves and for the future of this vital community institution. Continue reading “Staff of the Daily Hampshire Gazette Form Union”

Software Company Learns a Tough Lesson About Union-Busting; Fired Workers Win Big Back-Pay Settlement

Nov. 10, 2018 – A small boutique software company got a tough lesson about union-busting on Nov. 9, when it agreed to shell out $775,000 to 15 programmers the logistics company fired after its developers announced plans to form a union. The 15 former employees of Lanetix comprised the firm’s entire non-management programming staff. Continue reading “Software Company Learns a Tough Lesson About Union-Busting; Fired Workers Win Big Back-Pay Settlement”

Calling on you to take action to protect journalists and a free press

Nov. 9, 2018 – A reporter suspended from White House press briefings because he asks tough questions. A journalist murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. Pipe bombs sent to more than a dozen targets, including journalists and other workers at CNN. As these aggressive acts against the press continue in the United States and abroad, the leader of the free world blames the media.
We at The NewsGuild-CWA – a union of media workers in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada – are horrified by the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi Arabian consulate and the pipe bombs sent to CNN. We also denounce the exclusion of CNN’s Jim Acosta from White House news conferences and the administration’s use of a doctored video to justify that decision. Continue reading “Calling on you to take action to protect journalists and a free press”

Saudis acknowledge death of Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia consulate

From the Rachel Maddow Show last night: Eric Swalwell was interviewed by Joy Reid on the murder of Khashoggi at Saudia Arabia consulate in Istanbul.

We now know that the White House cancelled a congressional meeting that was planned to share American intelligence with Congress earlier this week. Swalwell is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Swalwell called on the Saudis to return Khashoggi’s remains to his family and fiancé. He said Congress deserves more information. He said that the FBI should conduct an investigation using its legal attachés in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He said there should also be a suspension of arms sales to the Saudis until this is resolved.

Joy Reid pointed out that there are people in Washington on the right that our smearing Khashoggi and Swalwell pointed out that it may originate with the White House. (Personal note – I have seen attacks on the left questioning Khashoggi’s past as well.)

Swalwell reminded viewers that President Trump had praised his congressional colleague Representative Richard Gianforte for “body slamming” a Guardian Reporter and Guild member last year. He pleaded guilty to assault. He reminded Joy that he introduced the Journalist Protection Act earlier this year to protect reporters and that others in congress are seeking ways to protect journalists. (The NewsGuild and CWA supports the Journalist Protection Act.)

Meanwhile the Saudis continue to say that the killing of Khashoggi was an accident even though a team of 15 Saudis had arrived in Turkey prior to Khashoggi arriving at the consulate. They had a “forensics expert” among them who came with a bone saw. Intelligence chatter shows that Khashoggi was lured to the consulate where the Saudis had planned to “detain” him.

Journalists continue to be harmed or threatened worldwide with impunity, but this case shows a direct state-sponsored murder of a reporter.

Guild with 29 other news groups calls for full investigation regarding journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, never to be seen again. We fear that he was killed because he was critical of the Crown Prince. He was a regular contributor to the Washington Post, and was in self-imposed exile living in Virginia.

“The threat of violence, kidnapping or death to any journalist seeking the truth and reporting it is dangerous to freedom and democracy around the world,” from the letter. The Guild calls on all governments to investigate all killings of journalists such as the recent incident in Bulgaria, and so many incidents in nearby Mexico. Khashoggi Letter 10102018.

Omaha World-Herald newsroom workers vote to unionize

OMAHA, Nebraska, Oct. 8, 2018— Newsroom employees of The Omaha World-Herald voted overwhelmingly on Monday to unionize.

The 71-5 vote by reporters, copy editors and photographers to affiliate with The NewsGuild was part of what organizers said will be ongoing efforts by employees of The World-Herald to maintain and improve the quality of the paper through a fair contract. Staff members supporting the organizing drive said they want to ensure a local voice in the direction of the state’s largest newspaper. Continue reading “Omaha World-Herald newsroom workers vote to unionize”

Virginia journalists gain voluntary recognition from Tronc and join The NewsGuild-CWA

Sept. 14, 2018 – Calling themselves the Tidewater Media Guild, over 100 newsroom employees at Tronc-owned publications The Virginian-Pilot, Daily Press, Virginia Gazette, and Tidewater Review in Virginia have won voluntary recognition. Together these publications account for the dominant media market in the southeastern Virginia region. Continue reading “Virginia journalists gain voluntary recognition from Tronc and join The NewsGuild-CWA”