Press

NEW YORK – NewsGuild of New York-represented staff at ProPublica have won a first contract with the nonprofit investigative newsroom in a deal that gives staff up to 24% raises over the life the agreement, mandates transparency around the use of AI, protects hybrid work, offers significant health-care savings and more.

ALBANY, NY (Jun. 8) — Senator Patricia Fahy (D–Albany), Assemblymember Nily Rozic (D–NYC), and the NY FAIR News Act coalition announced that the New York state legislature passed the NY FAIR News Act (New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act), S.8451-B / A.8962-B, landmark legislation that mandates news organizations operating in the State include clear disclaimers on published content substantially or wholly generated by artificial intelligence. The NY FAIR News Act now heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk for signature.

The New York Post is reporting that ABG is considering a deal that would result in The Arena Group keeping the rights to operate Sports Illustrated while going through with its widely publicized plans to gut our staff and eliminate our union. If this comes to pass, then it would represent the true death of SI. 

NEW YORK –  Over the past seven days, nearly 9 percent of The NewsGuild of New York’s membership walked off the job.

NEW YORK – In response to Gannett’s second quarter earnings call this morning, where the company announced that digital subscription revenue had returned to growth over the past three months, Gannett union members and NewsGuild leadership released the following statements. The NewsGuild-CWA represents more than 50 Gannett bargaining units, covering more than 1,000 employees.

Statement from The NewsGuild of New York President Susan DeCarava on the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

When Daily Beast management – led by our new corporate partners Ben Sherwood and Joanna Coles – informed us several weeks ago they were looking to slash staff in our newsroom, our bargaining team went right to work.

We successfully negotiated a robust buyout plan for our members, giving them the chance to decide for themselves if they wanted to leave the company. Twenty-five unit members, or roughly 70 percent of our unit, applied for the buyout. Our members now have a seven-day window to accept the buyout or rescind their application, which will mean the total number of members who choose to leave could change.

We have also won job security for unit members who choose to stay with the Company. Because we expect to exceed $1.5 million in payroll savings through the buyouts, unit members will be protected from any layoffs through Dec. 31, 2024.

We have also struck a tentative two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Company that benefits all of our members, whether they are choosing to take a buyout or staying. We have achieved retroactive pay increases from January 1 for all members. For members who are staying, the contract lifts wages for the lowest earners by at least 4% in 2024 (4.5% in 2025); mid-range earners by 2.5% in 2024 and 3% in 2025; higher-paid earners by 1% in 2024 and 1.5% in 2025; and top-paid workers by .5% in both years.

We have been in the driver's seat of this process since Sherwood and Coles arrived at the Beast. We have battled with Company lawyers, demanded information in the face of uncertainty, and have won the fight for our colleagues to design their own futures. The security and dignity we’ve afforded our colleagues affirms that our work is valuable and empowering. No matter how many members accept the buyout, our work as a Union will continue. Managers come and go, but we, the Daily Beast Union, are here to stay.

From the NYTimes:  More than 100 New York Times workers and their supporters protested outside The Times’s Manhattan headquarters on Tuesday, accusing the company of delaying contract talks.