At midnight today workers at the Washington Post started a 24-hour unfair labor practice strike over the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith.
After 18 months of bargaining with Washington Post, Guild workers — including reporters, editors, cartoonists, visual journalists, advertising sales people and circulation drivers — walked out. Despite a year and a half of efforts, Post management has refused to bargain in good faith for a fair contract that keeps up with inflation and the Post’s competition.
During the same time period, because of the previous publisher’s poor business strategy, the company laid off nearly 40 people. Then this fall, they offered “voluntary” buyouts to another 240 staffers. Now The Post has threatened layoffs if they don’t get enough people to leave. Democracy will die in darkness if there are fewer Post employees making the critical journalism that keeps our communities informed and holds our public officials accountable.
Post workers are walking out for 24 hours, because there is no Washington Post without them. More than 700 Post employees have pledged to walk off the job at midnight on Dec. 7. The Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike will include workers in Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, other cities across the country and around the globe and will include a public campaign to inform readers about what is at stake at The Washington Post.
Here’s how you can support the workers:
- Send a letter to the Washington Post Publisher
- Do not cross the picket line at 1301 K St NW, Washington, DC 20071
- Do not give any interviews to the Washington Post on Thursday
- Do not click on the Washington Post website or share any links from the Post