GUILD FILES ANOTHER DISCRIMINATION GRIEVANCE
The Guild Executive Board unanimously voted Wednesday to file a second grievance against The Inquirer under our collective bargaining agreement for violation of Article 2, which prohibits discrimination against our members. The veteran member, who is Black, is paid considerably less than white colleagues with less experience performing similar jobs. For several years, the member has attempted to get the company to correct this inequity but it has refused to do so. We applaud the aggrieved member for courageously taking a stand against this injustice. It’s a shame that the member was left with no other choice.
The Guild took similar action last month on behalf of another member alleging pay discrimination based on race. The Inquirer must end its discriminatory practices and pay
minorities fairly, in line with their white counterparts. After the Mercer study conducted last year found pay discrepancies among journalists of color, The Inquirer made some equity pay adjustments. That was a start. Let’s fix the problem once and for all.
As the fallout continues from The Inquirer’s look at itself, “Black City. White Paper,” a detailed account by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Wesley Lowery, we are awaiting a meaningful commitment that the newspaper and Publisher Lisa Hughes will take the steps necessary to move beyond its history as a racist institution.
Just last month Hughes apologized for the past; how can she sit quietly about current mistreatment of minorities in the newsroom and elsewhere in the company?
The Guild has requested a meeting with management as soon as possible to address this latest grievance. We encourage members who believe they are being discriminated against, in violation of our contract, to contact us immediately. We will not keep silent on this issue.
Yours in solidarity,
The Guild Executive Board
Diane Mastrull, President
Bill Ross, Executive Director
