Our Guild members in much-neglected Alden Global Capital-owned Tribune properties, including the Orlando Sentinel, Morning Call, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Tribune Suburban publications, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press have been patient enough after prolonged bargaining to secure decent compensation and other recognition of their work. As greedy hedge funds do, Alden has ignored demands and made a joke of bargaining.
So today, our abused members are going on strike. They need our support. Here’s how each of us can help. Please show them solidarity.
One day we may need them.
In solidarity,
Diane
The Tribune Publishing Guilds are Walking Out on a One Day Strike TODAY!!
Who are we?
After nearly five years of bargaining and still no fair pay proposal from the Company, the Tribune Guilds are walking out for 24 hours TODAY Thursday, February 1. This will be one of the largest job actions in Alden Global Capital history, and these workers need your support! SCNG and NYDN both just walked out within the last few weeks, showing Alden that their workers are standing up in a huge way!
Around 250 members from the Orlando Sentinel, Morning Call, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Tribune Suburban publications, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, the Design and Production Studios, and the Tribune Content Agency are working together to fight against Alden Global Capital’s willful destruction of the news industry.
Where are we?
We’re at two bargaining tables. The Chicago Tribune has several non economics we’re waiting for responses on. The Joint Table of the rest of the units is down to a few key issues, like retaining the 401k match that the company wants to cut for everyone, a fair wage proposal, and family leave.
The company’s wage proposal is now cutting the 401k match and two annual bonuses of $1,500. Their proposal sets wage floors at the lowest paid person in every unit.
Ours currently stands at fair wage floors, cost of living annual raises, and a wage scale that moves long-serving members up. The company has said that they are not interested in raising their labor expenses. Many of our members have worked here for years and have second jobs and scramble every month to pay for basic expenses.
Tribune journalists have gone years without a raise, and many will be making a huge sacrifice by walking out.
Please share widely across the CWA network today and donate if you are able! Parts of the group will post the GFM publicly and spread more widely! Feel free to join them.
Forwarding this email to folks is a great way to start!
2) Show up to our Zoom Rally and National Presser TODAY Thursday, Feb 1 at 9:30 A.M. Central / 10:30 A.M. Eastern! REGISTER HERE.
Members will be hosting a rally on Zoom. Invite all of our colleagues in the struggle for a better workplace under Alden to join us! There will be speakers from each of the units participating.
We want to continue to be a community resource for years to come — and are fighting for a fair contract that would allow journalists to afford to live in the communities they cover and provide protections against the hedge fund gutting its newspapers until there’s nothing left.
We need your help in preserving quality local news for the communities served by our publications. Please write to company officials to tell them why you appreciate your local newspaper and demand that they finally agree to a fair contract.
4) Support Us on Social!
Please Retweet or QT our Walkout Posts! You can see the list of our units’ Twitter accounts here!
Feel free to create your own as well, and tag our units!
