Hundreds of journalists from various Hearst newsrooms have come together to demand respect and fair treatment in their workplaces. Employees from the five unionized Hearst newsrooms have outlined specific requests for their respective locations.
At the Albany Times Union, employees are calling for renewed bargaining in good faith. In Austin, they seek a contract comparable to previous agreements and recognition of union members’ rights. Hearst Connecticut Media workers are asking for the withdrawal of election appeals and timely bargaining for a first contract while maintaining status quo. The San Francisco Chronicle/SFGATE employees emphasize adherence to the existing collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, at the Dallas Morning News, there is a call to honor legal obligations in the union contract and invest in the institution’s long-standing service to Texans.
These demands come as Hearst continues its acquisition of additional newspapers, including major dailies in Austin and Dallas.
Nicole Villalpando, a reporter with the American-Statesman, expressed frustration over disparities in benefits: “Hearst could have accepted our contract in Austin. Instead, they chose to throw out our contract, not give us same as benefits as our managers, and deny us union protections.”
Todd Trumbull from the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted management’s reluctance towards unions: “Hearst management has made it abundantly clear that they would rather not deal with a unionized workforce,” he said. He affirmed that the union remains strong at the Chronicle.
Alex Putterman of Hearst Connecticut Media reiterated their simple request: “All we ask is that the company honor our rights as unionized employees.”
The journalists are represented by The NewsGuild-CWA, North America’s largest union of journalists and media workers.
For further details on this letter or specific newsroom circumstances, contacts include Wendy Liberatore (Albany), Nicole Villalpando (Austin), Brian Zahn (Connecticut), Maggie Prosser (Dallas), and Todd Trumbull (San Francisco).
