I just got back from a rally in front of the Washington Post because…
The Post’s tech workers just announced they’re unionizing! More than 300 workers across engineering, product design and data have formed the Washington Post Tech Guild are seeking voluntary recognition from the company. Represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild and supported by the CODE-CWA campaign, they’re organizing to win equity, transparency and a voice in their workplace.
Around the world, The Washington Post has earned a reputation for being a news organization that holds the powerful to account. Every day, the technologists who power The Post, innovate, develop and maintain tools and systems that benefit this world class journalism.
“We’re the workers who build The Washington Post—we ship the code that keeps the newsroom running. We understand what readers want, and we know how to build for the future,” said Luke, a software engineer and organizing committee member at The Post. “Despite unforced errors from our CEO and owner, we’re still here, showing up and delivering. A union gives us a real voice in shaping the future of our work—and ensures this institution continues holding power to account, serving our readers and democracy for another 100 years.”
They’re fighting for the same values that define the journalism they support: fairness, transparency and integrity.
“I want a union to guarantee transparency and fairness in pay, career advancement and benefits. I want a union to protect our jobs from our executives’ political whims. I want to stand up for my colleagues and myself,” said Lisa, a software engineer in the Tech Guild.
The Washington Post Tech Guild joins a growing wave of media tech workers demanding just cause, modern work practices and a seat at the table. Tech workers have unionized with us from the San Francisco Chronicle, The Seattle Times and the New York Times in the last few years.
Do you support these workers?
Our Radio Free Asia members are still fighting to get their Congressionally-mandated funding restored. Last week our case got moved to D.C. and we’re still fighting to get the U.S. Agency for Global Media to release the grant funding necessary to bring them back to work. They were furloughed more than two weeks ago after the Trump administration halted payments, which are approved by Congress.
We sued alongside other unions and individual plaintiffs to make sure the executive branch follows the laws passed by Congress. Radio Free Asia broadcasts and reports in nine different languages, covering the news inside countries controlled by repressive regimes. Our members are a lifeline to Tibetans, Vietnamese, North Koreans and others who can’t get trustworthy news inside their countries.
The Trump administration is so far failing to follow a judge’s order telling the U.S. Agency for Global Media to release the grant funding to Radio Free Asia and other newsrooms. America was founded on the belief that people should be able to access a free press — we’re going to keep fighting to make sure that right extends to more people worldwide.
We’re having an all-Guild membership meeting at 8 p.m. ET on April 10. Attacks on the free press and unions are growing every day. We’ll discuss the threats, hear from Guild members in the field and develop strategies and actions to Defend Our Free Press. Register for that meeting here. (Guild members only)
Our Pittsburgh strikers are closer than ever to winning their strike! We won a very rare injunction ordering the company to reinstate health insurance, however, the company is trying to delay things. Beyond simply following the order, Post-Gazette management needs to put workers back on the 2017 contract terms. We’ve been on strike for more than two-and-a-half years and won repeatedly in the courts. The writing is on the wall.
Can you help make sure the Blocks, who own the paper, see no choice but to settle the strike on our terms by sending this letter and signing up to make calls and texts to corporate board members?
Guild members at Cascade PBS filed an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board over management’s efforts to prevent workers from passing out union literature. For the last several weeks they’ve been protesting management and calling for a fair contract – taking their fight to the street.
Journalists at Hearst in Connecticut sent a letter to management over the company’s punitive approach to discipline after they launched their union campaign in August. Management immediately worked to delay the election by forcing a hearing at the NLRB. Because of the continued understaffing of the agency, it’s taken months for an election to be scheduled.
“Two of our coworkers have been fired in recent weeks, joining a growing list of those terminated,” workers said in the letter. “Union organizers have felt especially targeted.” It’s illegal for a company to intimidate or retaliate against workers for supporting a union. We’ve filed unfair labor practices as we wait for the NLRB to schedule an election.
Journalists at Science News are rallying at 11:30 a.m. ET Thursday calling on management to give them a first contract. They first organized in November 2023 and are still fighting for that first collective agreement. They want protections for remote work, a transparent and equitable salary structure and guaranteed sick leave separate from paid time off. If you’re in DC, join them at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 10 at 1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW. RSVP here.
In solidarity,
Jon Schleuss
President
The NewsGuild-CWA