A mosaic of striking journalists from the NY Daily News and the L.A. Times

Hi John,

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Journalists and staffers at newsrooms and media publications across the country are getting hit hard by stalled contract negotiations, staff cuts and mass layoffs.

Publications have been going out of business as giant corporations buy them up for profit, consolidate them and then lay off their workers—many times illegally. The trend continues for any publication, big or small. Even legendary outlets like Sports Illustrated can just disappear overnight.

When news outlets fire their writers, it undermines our democracy and our free press. Misinformation can run rampant. Corruption and corporate greed can go unseen. And research shows that communities with less local news have lower civic engagement and voter turnout.

But we’re not done fighting. Journalists and newsroom staffers are speaking out and walking out. Our unions are using every tool we have to force these outlets to honor the terms of their contracts. And people like us, all across the country, are using our power to hold these big corporations accountable.

If you agree that strong journalism is a core part of a strong democracy, add your name to our open letter.

Add Your Name: I stand with striking journalists!

Sign Now

Want to do more? Here are additional details about The NewsGuild-CWA journalists who are striking and protesting illegal layoffs across the country:

On Thursday, writers at the Forbes Union walked out for three days in protest of management’s union-busting and bad faith negotiations for two years. Sign the petition in support of Forbes Union.
Writers at New York Daily News walked out in protest of staff cuts and unilateral changes and the denial of overtime after it was purchased by hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Workers report their newsroom was gutted in order to line the owner’s pockets rather than support the workers who make their profits possible. Sign the petition in support of the Daily News Union.
Earlier this week, roughly 400 writers at Condé Nast (Vogue, Bon Appétit, Glamour and others) went on a one-day unfair labor practice strike to protest against the illegal layoffs. Sign the petition in support of the Condé Nast Union.
Similarly, late last week, journalists at the Los Angeles Times walked off the job in protest of management’s proposed illegal layoffs. Management has delivered dramatic staff cuts due to a widening budget deficit. This is the first strike in the paper’s 142-year history. Sign the petition in support of LA Times journalists.
Journalists in Pittsburgh have been on strike since October 2022. They began striking after the Post-Gazette cut their wages, took away earned vacation time and forced them onto a more expensive health insurance plan with less coverage. Donate to their strike fund here.

Thank you for supporting these journalists, their work and our democracy.

In Solidarity,

Team AFL-CIO