Journalists at The New York Daily News and Forbes are hanging amid contentious contract talks with control and a troublesome few weeks within the news trade
NEW YORK — Journalists at The New York Daily News and Forbes walked off the activity Thursday amid contentious contract talks with control and a troublesome few weeks within the news trade.
Both strike are historical: It’s the first-ever at the business-focused mag in additional than a century, and the 1st at the storied newspaper in additional than 3 a long time, in accordance to the NewsGuild of New York.
The one-day strike at the Daily News coincides with Forbes walkout, which runs via Monday.
Founded in 1919, it was once as soon as the biggest circulating newspaper within the nation.
Strikers marched across the development preserving indicators that learn “New York Needs Its Hometown Paper” and “Alden to News: Drop Dead,” a reference to the tabloid’s well-known 1975 headline. They additionally post a big inflatable rat that has develop into an increasing number of acquainted at different union protests.
The exertions union’s movements come at a tumultuous time for media shops, increasingly that are owned via billionaires. This week, Time mag and Condé Nast, the writer of Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and different marquee magazines, each introduced vital activity cuts. Staffers at Condé Nast publications went on a one-day strike.
Then the Los Angeles Times laid off greater than 100 workers, or greater than 20% of its newsroom, with staffers strolling out remaining week in protest.
Meanwhile greater than 200 workers at The Washington Post, owned via billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, authorised buyouts within the waning days of 2023. And doubtlessly all the team of workers at Sports Illustrated may well be laid off because the writer of the long-lasting mag faces cash troubles.
The Daily News union says their walkout is in protest of cost-cutting strikes via house owners Alden Global Capital, an funding company that bought the storied paper in 2021. The union shaped in 2021 and is negotiating its first contract with the corporate.
“We are fed up with Alden Global Capital’s constant cuts and apparent commitment to shrinking the paper,” Michael Gartland, a reporter and the union’s steward, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He cited efforts to curb overtime pay, among other problems.
Unionized journalists at Forbes, who also organized in 2021, said they’re similarly protesting stalled contract negotiations that have lasted more than two years, among other workplace issues.
“Management’s only interest is to delay, stall and obstruct, as well as try to block our members from protected union action,” Andrea Murphy, an editor and the union’s chair, mentioned in a observation. “We are taking this extraordinary step to display that we can no longer permit such disrespectful conduct in opposition to our negotiations to proceed.”
Spokespeople for The Daily News and Alden Global Capital, which has obtained ratings of newspapers around the nation and proceeded to impose layoffs and different cost-cutting measures, didn’t straight away reply to emails in quest of remark Thursday.
Forbes spokesperson Laura Brusca mentioned the corporate is “working diligently” to achieve a freelance with the union. She additionally showed the corporate advised workers Thursday it might lay off lower than 3% of its team of workers.
“We are disappointed by the Union’s decision to stage a walk-out, but respect their right to take this action,” she wrote in an e-mail.
The union known as the layoffs any other instance of the corporate’s “union-busting” efforts. “We want the company to know, despite their efforts to intimidate us, that we are 100% not backing down,” Murphy mentioned in a observation.