Organizing | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

Hearst guild members stand arm in arm at a picnic outside.

Newsletter: Guild wins show the boss who’s ‘boss’!

We had a powerful union turnout two weeks ago at the Atlantic Union Rally! Guild members and labor allies gathered in D.C., right outside The Atlantic Festival 2024, the company’s highest profile event of the year. Rallygoers demanded that management recognize the value of the work produced by both the newsroom and business sides and agree to a fair contract.

Workers have been fighting for a contract for two years while the company drags its feet. Among the key issues, the our members are pushing for:

Just Cause No Exceptions: A bedrock union protection that ensures due process around discipline.
Work-life balance: Including remote work flexibility
Layoff protections: As well as safeguarding jobs against the misuse of artificial intelligence. Earlier this year The Atlantic entered an opaque deal with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

Over 1,000 supporters have already signed the petition demanding that management provide these basic protections to Atlantic workers. Join them by signing the petition today!

I Support atlantic workers!

Journalists at The Journal Times in Racine, WI, announce union

RACINE, Wis. — Journalists at The Journal Times newspaper in Racine, Wisconsin, today announced plans to unionize together as the Racine NewsGuild, seeking a partnership with the newspaper’s ownership to protect quality local journalism and to demonstrate a joint commitment to improving services in the Racine area.

Southern California journalists authorize first strike against Alden Global Capital

In the first authorization for an open-ended strike ever taken by journalists at a newsroom owned by the secretive Alden Global Capital, the Southern California News Group union today announced its members have voted overwhelmingly in favor of striking.

America’s journalists oppose California’s backroom deal between AI companies and news bosses

Yesterday afternoon, Google, California Assembly member Buffy Wicks, California Governor Gavin Newsom and many of California’s publishing lobbies announced “a first-in-the-nation partnership with the State, news publishers, major tech companies and philanthropy, unveiling a pair of multi-year initiatives to provide ongoing financial support to newsrooms across California and launch a National AI Accelerator.”

After two years of advocacy for strong antimonopoly action to start turning around the decline of local newsrooms, we are left almost without words. The publishers who claim to represent our industry are celebrating an opaque deal involving taxpayer funds, a vague AI accelerator project that could very well destroy journalism jobs, and minimal financial commitments from Google to return the wealth this monopoly has stolen from our newsrooms.

Not a single organization representing journalists and news workers agreed to this undemocratic and secretive deal with one of the businesses destroying our industry. Moments ago, the following opposition letter was filed with the California legislature:

NYT Tech Guild Kicks Off Union Election

An election to formalize the union of 600 New York Times tech workers began Monday as the National Labor Relations Board mailed ballots to eligible employees. It is a historic milestone in a campaign where workers have fought for recognition since first announcing that they had formed a union last April. Ballots will be counted between February 28 and March 7.

Workers of Color Of Change win voluntary union recognition

Oct. 28, 2020 – Staffers of Color Of Change, one of the nation’s largest racial justice organizations, announced Wednesday that they have won voluntary union recognition from management. They will be represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild local of The NewsGuild-CWA. Continue reading “Workers of Color Of Change win voluntary union recognition”

Two wins in one day: Markup Union receives voluntary recognition

Oct. 16, 2020 – Staffers of The Markup, a nonprofit digital publication that covers the ethics and impact of technology on society, announced Friday that they have formed Markup Union. It was the second union victory of the day, following an overwhelming vote by the journalists of the Dallas Morning News and Al Día to form the Dallas News Guild. Continue reading “Two wins in one day: Markup Union receives voluntary recognition”

Journalists of Lawrence Journal-World: ‘We’re forming a union’

Sept. 28, 2020 – The journalists at the Lawrence Journal-World announced Monday they are forming a union to fight for the future of local news in Douglas County, Kan. Continue reading “Journalists of Lawrence Journal-World: ‘We’re forming a union’”

Seattle Times digital journalists vote to unionize

Sept. 28, 2020 – The digital journalists at The Seattle Times voted 10-0 to unionize in balloting that was tallied on Friday. They will join their print colleagues at the Times in the Pacific Northwest local of The NewsGuild-CWA. Continue reading “Seattle Times digital journalists vote to unionize”

Digital staff of People Magazine wins union vote, 45-3

Sept. 14, 2020 – Digital employees of People Magazine voted 45-3 in favor of unionizing Friday in a digital vote conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The overwhelming victory secured the staffers’ representation by The NewsGuild of New York local of The NewsGuild-CWA. Continue reading “Digital staff of People Magazine wins union vote, 45-3”