Category: News

Hedge fund Alden attempts takeover of Gannett newspaper chain

Digital First Media’s profits “near the top of the industry,” company says in takeover letter

By Julie Reynolds

This is a reprint of an article that appeared on Jan. 15 on DFMworkers.org.

Jan. 15, 2019 – Billing itself as a savior of newspapers, vulture hedge fund Alden Global Capital has made a $1.36 billion hostile takeover bid to acquire Gannett’s chain of more than 100 local papers.

If successful, the move would make Alden’s Digital First Media the largest newspaper chain in the country (in terms of circulation), while extending Alden’s heavily criticized slash-and-burn strategy to hundreds of U.S. communities. Continue reading “Hedge fund Alden attempts takeover of Gannett newspaper chain”

NewsGuild statement on Digital First Media’s proposal to purchase Gannett

The destruction of local newspapers by hedge funds and private equity firms is an underreported national crisis for our democracy, so today’s announced proposal by Digital First Media to purchase Gannett is of the greatest concern. The NewsGuild opposes any such purchase by DFM. Continue reading “NewsGuild statement on Digital First Media’s proposal to purchase Gannett”

NewsGuild seeks, receives assurance from DoubleTree Hotel that racist incident won’t be repeated

By Martha Waggoner, TNG international chair

Jan. 10, 2019 – The NewsGuild-CWA has been assured that racist incidents such as the one that occurred at a DoubleTree Hotel in Oregon will not occur during the Guild’s sector conference in Florida.

The Guild’s Executive Committee wrote the manager of the DoubleTree in Orlando and to the president of Hilton Hotels, which owns DoubleTree, after an African-American guest at the hotel in Portland, OR, was ordered to leave. Continue reading “NewsGuild seeks, receives assurance from DoubleTree Hotel that racist incident won’t be repeated”

TNG sector conference to focus on organizing

By Martha Waggoner, TNG international chair

Organizing will be a main focus of national and local leaders when they gather for the 80th convening of The NewsGuild-CWA.

That’s because TNG saw an unprecedented year of organizing in 2018. We organized more than 20 workplaces in 2018, which means more than 1,400 people, mostly media workers, have or will have the protections of union contracts. Continue reading “TNG sector conference to focus on organizing”

Law360 Union members unanimously ratify strong first contract

Dec. 18, 2018 – After nearly two years at the negotiating table, Law360 editorial staffers unanimously approved a first contract that offers significant improvements in pay, working conditions and security to Guild-covered employees at the LexisNexis-owned legal news site. Continue reading “Law360 Union members unanimously ratify strong first contract”

Fight for $15 organizers win first contract!

Dec. 18, 2018 – Fast food organizers represented by United Media Guild Local of The NewsGuild-CWA ratified their first contract on Dec. 15.  The organizers are employed by the National Fast Food Workers Union, an affiliate of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union). Continue reading “Fight for $15 organizers win first contract!”

Staff of Hoy Los Angeles Joins L.A. Times Guild

Dec. 17, 2018 – Management of the Los Angeles Times has agreed to add the journalists of Hoy Los Angeles to the ranks of the Los Angeles Times Guild, the local announced on Dec. 17.

The staff of the Spanish-language paper petitioned the L.A. Times for union recognition as part of the local on Nov. 28. Continue reading “Staff of Hoy Los Angeles Joins L.A. Times Guild”

Workers at Casper Star-Tribune Ratify First Contract

Dec. 17, 2018 – Journalists of the Casper Star-Tribune voted 10 to 0 to approve a Collective Bargaining Agreement on Dec. 14, ratifying the first contract between workers and their employer in the paper’s 127-year history. Continue reading “Workers at Casper Star-Tribune Ratify First Contract”

It’s Official! Employees at PCMag, Geek, Mashable, AskMen Win Voluntary Union Recognition

Dec. 14, 2018 – It’s official! Employees at PCMag, Geek, Mashable and AskMen won voluntary union recognition from Ziff Davis management on Dec. 14, becoming the latest in a series of successful organizing campaigns. Continue reading “It’s Official! Employees at PCMag, Geek, Mashable, AskMen Win Voluntary Union Recognition”