Our journalists worked through the night Wednesday to tell the story of the Thousand Oaks mass shooting, then worked through the night again last night to cover the wildfires raging in Ventura County and Northern California. Thank you for your service to our readers.
📢DON’T CROSS THE LAT GUILD DIGITAL PICKET LINE
To support us in our walkout, we ask you not to
1) Click on LAT stories
2) Engage with LAT brand accounts on social media
3) Open LAT news alerts
Or otherwise engage with LAT content from midnight to 11:59 p.m. Jan. 19
We have big news! Just now, the
@latguild
and the
@latimes
reached a tentative agreement on our first-ever union contract.
The newsroom still needs to ratify the contract. But after 15 months at the bargaining table, we’re at the finish line.
We have big news: The journalists of the
@latimes
are officially working under a fair union contract for the first time in our 138-year history.
To celebrate this milestone, and to support our unionized newsroom, please consider subscribing.
We’re thrilled to announce an agreement with the
@latimes
to hire more than 30 of our colleagues who were working as contractors, temps and freelancers. They have always been essential to our newsroom — and now, they’ll receive the benefits they deserve. Welcome to the Guild!
🦅THE L.A. TIMES GUILD IS WALKING OUT🦅
We are calling for a one-day walkout TOMORROW, Jan. 19, in protest of management's proposal to cut staff and multiple unfair labor practices.
We condemn the arrest of
@KPCC
/
@LAist
reporter Josie Huang, who was doing a job protected under the First Amendment. Journalists have the right to inform the public. That includes coverage of every aspect of a protest in public spaces, including police interaction with citizens.
After just one day of organizing, about 90% of our union walked out today in protest of management's devastating layoffs proposal and multiple unfair labor practices.
We are so thankful for the solidarity shown to us during this historic work stoppage. ✊
📸
@jaylclendenin
When we were first unionizing the
@latimes
newsroom, we felt a huge wave of support and solidarity from the
@nytimes
newsroom. We are proud to stand with these excellent journalists now.
Fair contract now,
@nytimes
management. It’s long overdue.
Today we were ready to work for as long as it took to reach a fair deal, but management walked away from the table with five hours to go. It’s official:
@NYTimesGuild
members are walking out for 24 hours on Thursday. We know what we’re worth.
NEW: More than 300
@latimes
journalists oppose the company’s proposal on intellectual property, which would mark a new low in the media industry and could limit our staff’s long-standing literary and creative contributions. Read our open letter here:
We’ve reached a deal with the
@latimes
to preserve jobs and benefits for our journalists. We are thankful that management accepted our proposal, but this is a painful cut. More details:
Here’s the note we sent to our newsroom colleagues this morning. Today, each of us has the chance to vote for a voice in the future of the newsroom we love.
L.A. Times management is hard at work deactivating our Slack accounts!
We wouldn't have thought this was what they'd spend their time on today trying to put out a paper without us, but to each their own.
Many readers have asked us how you can support the
@latimes
newsroom as we negotiate our first-ever union contract. Today, we’re proud to launch a campaign for you to explain why you care about The Times — and a fair contract for our journalists. 💛
One of our newest
@latimes
coworkers, senior podcast producer
@liynaanwar
, has been diagnosed with leukemia and is searching for a
@BeTheMatch
donor for a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
To help, especially if you’re of South Asian descent, text SWABFORLIYNA to 61474.
The
@latguild
is proud to support our dedicated, hardworking colleagues in the
@washingtonpost
newsroom as they fight for fair pay and benefits. From the other coast, we have your back!
#teamwapo
We’re out at Grand Park, fighting for our future and the future of the L.A. Times.
In a historic move, our members walked off the job today— the first newsroom work stoppage in our history— citing unfair labor practices and an insulting layoffs proposal that would be devastating
We’re grateful every day for the stability that our union contract and our new ownership have brought to the
@latimes
, and for our passionate, dedicated members who made that progress possible. All we’ve achieved as a union, we’ve achieved together. Happy Labor Day. 🦅
Our executive editor just told the newsroom in an anti-union memo that “asking questions is key.”
Here’s one: Why does Tronc’s CEO make 65% more than the CEO of the New York Times?
We’re furious and heartsick over these needless firings at the
@NYDailyNews
. Tronc executives have shown us again and again that they’re willing to line their own pockets at the expense of the company’s hardworking journalists.
Newspaper publishing company Tronc has announced cuts of 50 percent to the editorial staff of the New York Daily News, according to an internal memo obtained by NPR.
As journalists, we demand transparency from the people we cover. We demand the same of the executives who run our company. Our statement on the Huffington Post story and other recent alarming events:
... and just like that, the polls are closed! The NLRB has our ballots in that suitcase, and will give the final tally Jan. 19. Thank you to everyone who participated in this historic day at the Los Angeles Times. We’re proud to call you our colleagues.
Members of the
@latguild
have gathered in El Segundo for an all-hands meeting with
@meridak
. He must explain to the staff how we can be a top-notch, digital-first newsroom when he is proposing to lay off dozens of our colleagues whose work is essential.
“So maybe unions can’t save the news biz,” says
@LATstevelopez
. “But they can raise the voices of those who can — journalists. Having written for decades about economic justice, I’m with Los Angeles Times Guild colleagues committed to a mission I share at a newspaper I love.”
News: We’re thrilled to announce a tentative agreement on hiring and diversity that would make the
@latimes
newsroom a leader in the industry. It includes a stronger version of the NFL’s Rooney Rule.
More details:
A year ago, we were just starting to collect signed membership cards from our colleagues at the
@latimes
. We had no idea how crazy or fulfilling this journey would be. Thank you to everyone who has supported us, in the newsroom and around the world. Happy Labor Day. ✊🦅
Why does
@boxall
, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, support the
@latguild
? “After 136 years of giving a voice to others, it’s time Los Angeles Times journalists had a voice of their own.”
Jonathan was famous for pushing deadline. The day of our union election in January,
@thejgold
showed up to vote at 7:58 p.m., two minutes before the polls closed. He was the last
@latimes
journalist to cast a ballot, and proud of it.
We are delighted to stand with our colleagues at the Chicago Tribune as they fight for their future and for a seat at the table. We’re with you every step of the way,
@CTGuild
! ✊
Our first union contract will improve the quality of life for the nearly 500 journalists in our newsroom, enshrining significant pay raises and job protections that are among the best in the industry.
We are very excited and proud.
Our union election starts in 12 hours!
You must vote in person if you work in L.A. or Orange County.
The polls will be open from:
- 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- 2 to 4:30 p.m.
- 6 to 8 p.m.
See you there to safeguard the future of the Los Angeles Times and its journalists. ✊🦅
Jonathan Gold was our guiding light to all that is good in Los Angeles. The newsroom sends our love and condolences to Jonathan’s wife,
@Laurie_Ochoa
, and their two children.
If we’ve learned one thing from the last three years of union organizing, it’s that the work is never done. We’re proud today to reflect on all we’ve achieved as a newsroom — including our first contract — and the future that we’re building together. Happy Labor Day. 🦅
L.A. Times management’s decision to blindside the Guild with proposed layoffs as it neglects bargaining sends a clear message: You don’t care about the contract — or us.
🚨Our open letter to management🚨
BREAKING: In an unprecedented move, DENVER POST editorial board demands hedge fund ALDEN stop pillaging its newspapers. Multiple op-eds make the case for community, civic support.
#AldenExposed
#NewsMatters
There will be a lot of historic firsts for the Los Angeles Times union during the next few months. Tonight, we had our first membership meeting, and elected our first officers.
Proud of all the editors, copy editors, designers, photo editors, reporters, audience engagement staff, homepage editors and other members of the
@latimes
newsroom who raced against the clock to make this happen so quickly. It takes a village.
NEW: A salary analysis by
@latguild
has found that women and people of color in the
@latimes
newsroom are paid thousands of dollars less than their white, male peers.
Read our study:
Congratulations to our colleagues at the Chicago Tribune on taking this step. It is critical that journalists fight for themselves. We are with you in Los Angeles! ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
Greetings. We’re the journalists of the Chicago Tribune and its community publications, and we proudly announce the formation of the Chicago Tribune Guild. We’re unionizing to protect the future of the newspapers we love and bring readers the best journalism possible.
#TribUnion
.
@brittny_mejia
: “In my first year at the Times, two veteran journalists advised me to leave. They said I deserved better pay and a better workplace. I organize so no one else has to tell a young reporter, or any reporter, that they can do better elsewhere. We deserve it here.”
Today‘s our last scheduled day of bargaining.
@voxmediainc
is still apart from us on:
- competitive wage scales
- strong guaranteed raises
- better severance
- subcontracting work
We’ve decided we’re not showing up to work today until we resolve these issues.
The
@NLRB
has certified the results of our 248-44 vote tally, making it official: The
@latimes
newsroom is unionized! Congratulations to all our members on this historic victory.
The midterm election, a mass shooting, and three wildfires — all in four days. We’re so proud of our staff for pushing through exhaustion and heartbreak to serve our readers.
Guild member
@theCindyCarcamo
says if the layoffs go through as planned, the
@latimes
-- her hometown paper -- will not have any Spanish-speaking photographers.
"How are we going to cover our community?" she asks.
Merida responds: "I'll take a look at that."
We’re mourning the loss of one of our own today. Greg was a great colleague and journalist, and we will miss him. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
News:
@latimes
journalists will be working full time again starting next week. The 20% worksharing plan that has been in place since May will end this weekend — for the time being. More details:
Our journalists are working in fire zones and behind the scenes to bring you the news of the wildfires raging in California. We’ve made these stories free for readers today — but if you find them essential, please consider subscribing to support our work.
🗣 Important thread on the idea that journalism is “a higher calling,” a line too often used to pay journalists less than they deserve. Executives who tell us we should settle for less must not know what it’s like to worry about feeding their families or paying a hospital bill.
No one is more committed to this newsroom than the staffers who have gone six or seven or eight years without a raise, taken on longer commutes or put off buying homes, picked up second jobs to make ends meet.
"I loved the
@latimes
, and I loved working for you guys," says
@meerabee
, who is in tears. "How can you have a digital-first newsroom when you just let go of everyone who worked in digital?"
Merida apologizes. She says: "Sorry doesn't work in this situation, unfortunately."
The
@latimes
has said for months they wanted to move quickly on our first contract. Instead, they’re sitting on their hands on key issues like severance pay and outsourcing our work to contractors — the very protections we unionized to create.
Our message: Get real. We are. 🦅
Under the agreement, the company will not be able to arbitrarily discipline or fire
@latimes
journalists without establishing “just cause” — the gold standard in job protections, and a powerful shield for us and our work. Thank you, bargaining committee! ✊
We’re relieved that our colleague
@sarahdwire
made it out of the Capitol safely today, and deeply grateful that she and other journalists continued to work and chronicle this harrowing day in the face of danger.
The frontline journalists of the Omaha World-Herald want to ensure our ability to provide our community with our best work is preserved long into the future. That’s why we’re forming a union. Follow us here and visit our website for more info:
A hat tip to all of our hardworking reporters, designers, photographers, editors and copy editors who managed to get the results of the longest game in World Series history to about two-thirds of our print subscribers today, hours past the usual print deadline.
We’re marking this (un)happy birthday to make sure management knows we find this milestone unacceptable. We want a comprehensive counterproposal ASAP.
And there’s no better way to do that than with cake, party hats and streamers! We are always stronger together 🎂💪 🎉