🚨 The Washington Post Guild has reached a tentative agreement with The Washington Post after 18 months of contract negotiations.
This deal is the best contract Washington Post employees have seen in 50 years.
A letter to our dedicated readers:
On Dec. 7, we ask you to respect our walkout by not crossing the picket line: For 24 hours, please do not engage with any Post content. That includes our print + online news stories, podcasts, videos, games and recipes.
Workers
@washingtonpost
have been in contract negotiations with our bosses for 18 months.
But the company is refusing to pay us what we’re worth or bargain in good faith.
So on Dec. 7, we’re walking off the job for 24 hours.
Our 24-hour strike has begun.
For the first time in 50 years,
@washingtonpost
workers are walking off the job because our company is refusing to bargain in good faith and breaking the law.
#DearJeffBezos
, we workers of The Washington Post have been bargaining for a year and have little to show for it because The Post won’t meet us halfway on much of anything.
We love The Post. We know you do too. Our work has earned us more than what The Post is offering.
Three hours until Washington Post workers start our 24-hour unfair labor practice strike at midnight Dec. 7.
Don’t cross the picket line and don’t read
@washingtonpost
.
Today, we came into WaPo’s so-called town hall with questions about recent layoffs and the future of the company.
Our publisher dropped a bombshell on us by announcing more layoffs and then walking out, refusing to answer any of our questions.
Our company tried to scare workers away from coming out today. Instead, hundreds of us been living it up for 10+ hours and have been joined by loyal readers, journalism legends, union leaders, security guards, custodial staff and a whole lotta dogs and babies. We love you all.
Craving Washington Post journalism but don’t want to cross the picket line while we’re on strike?
We’ve got just the publication for you! “Fed up!” is a minizine by The Post Guild. Here’s what’s inside:
Today, The Washington Post laid off 20 of our colleagues.
While 20 is much smaller than 200 — “a single digit percentage of the workforce,” as Publisher Fred Ryan indicated, that’s little consolation to those who lost their jobs today.
That number should be zero.
Today, we’re publishing comprehensive reports that detail pay, retention and diversity at The Washington Post.
We hope their release will lead to transformation within our company, and help the push for progress in the industry at large.
We're glad to see The Post reverse its harmful stance and allow our colleague Felicia Sonmez to do her job.
But this decision came only after much public criticism and at the expense of Felicia's mental health. The Post must do better.
Hi all. I’ve been told by my editors that the Post is rescinding its ban.
This is good news, but it’s unfortunate that it had to come at such a high emotional toll, and after my distress was dismissed for years.
I’m taking time to rest and process. Thank you for your support.
The
@PostGuild
stands in solidarity today with our journalism friends at
@vox_union
as they fight for a fair contract in their last day of bargaining with
@voxmediainc
.
We believe in you! ✊
Today, we go to the bargaining table with Washington Post management. We have been building to this moment for years — nearly doubling membership since the last time we bargained and strengthening our influence across the company.
Today, dozens of Post Guild members came to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair severance package for our laid-off colleagues.
But instead of engaging with us, management walked out.
So much for Democracy Dies in Darkness.
We demand a fair contract for all and a better buyout deal to avert layoffs.
Show your solidarity by:
✊ Respecting our picket line by avoiding Post journalism during our walkout
✊ Sending a letter to our Publisher through the link in our bio
The Guild works every day to secure fair pay, robust benefits and decent working conditions for Post employees. To join us, contact wapounion
@gmail
.com.
1/ Two weeks ago, more than 750 Washington Post employees walked off the job for 24 hours to demand
@washingtonpost
negotiate in good faith for a contract that keeps pace with inflation and our competition.
Instead, they returned with peanuts.
Read our update here:
The Washington Post has never conducted and released to the public a comprehensive pay study.
So this year, in the absence of a Post-sponsored audit, the Post Guild decided to do one itself.
Tomorrow, WaPo hosts a company “town hall.” Employees sent questions in advance, but our publisher Fred Ryan rarely answers the hard ones. None are taken live.
But after brutal layoffs, we want answers about WaPo’s future. Democracy Dies in Darkness, right? Here’s what we asked:
In mere minutes, hundreds of Washington Post employees in DC + around the US will step away from work & demand that
@washingtonpost
management gets serious about bargaining — and bring us a wage proposal, something the Post has refused to do for NINE MONTHS and counting. (1/x)
We cannot comprehend how The Post, owned by one of the richest people in the world, has decided to foist the consequences of its incoherent business plan and irresponsibly rapid expansion onto the hardworking people who make this company run.
Don't cross the picket line as our
@NYTimesGuild
colleagues walk out. Meanwhile, we’re bargaining today for better severance for our laid off Magazine coworkers.
Want to support both NYT and WaPo journalists? Read these stories from the mag instead of the NYT today 🧵
We’ll be striking ‘till midnight! In the cold! So how can you support us? Write a letter to our publisher demanding that The Post come back to the bargaining table and give workers a fair deal:
We appreciate you!
We’ve been bargaining for a new contract for 9 months, but the company still hasn’t offered a serious proposal to improve wages and pay equity at The Washington Post
Tomorrow, hundreds of
@postguild
members are lunching out to demand The Post pay us what we’re worth
Here’s why:
This is a historic day for The Washington Post and
@PostGuild
.
Publisher Fred Ryan has announced sweeping changes to The Post. Many of them seemed to come directly from this union’s action plan, which was signed by more than 500 Post employees.
750+ strong in D.C. ➡️New York ➡️San Francisco ➡️L.A. ➡️And beyond
Our demands are clear. Washington Post: It’s your turn to come to the table with a fair deal.
As a result of last week's historic strike, we're headed back to the bargaining table. But first, there are many thank you’s we owe to the community who supported us.
Here are just a few of them:
At bargaining today, about 150 of our members showed up to support our laid-off coworkers at the Magazine and reject the Post’s quiet, cowardly firing of these dedicated colleagues.
Today, The Post announced $1,000 bonuses for the work we've done covering the global pandemic.
This is a meaningful gesture at a time when the news industry is facing unprecedented challenges and our colleagues have put in long hours to keep readers safe and informed.
More than 500 Post employees agree.
They signed their name to this action plan last week which outlines 11 researched, actionable steps The Post and other newsrooms can take to address diversity and inclusion in their organizations.
We wanted to share them with you.
We have received no clear explanation for why these layoffs had to happen.
As far as we can tell, they are not financially necessary or rooted in any coherent business plan from our publisher, who has said that he expects the company to be larger a year from now.
The
@PostGuild
is fighting for fair pay at the bargaining table. The Post hasn’t budged from current levels — the lowest around $30,000. In the DC area, this is unlivable. At a place like The Post, it’s unconscionable.
Read our zine to see how we’re hoping to change that 🧵
Thousands of you have been writing letters to our company’s leaders, demanding on our behalf that The Post come back to the bargaining table to negotiate in good faith.
So this morning, we took your message to the walls of their offices.
We need a fair deal. Right now.
Ahem.
After more than 80 years of advocating for
@washingtonpost
employees, we decided it was time for a facelift.
We have new leadership, new priorities and a new look.
On Tuesday, Washington Post interim CEO Patty Stonesifer announced the company’s intention to reduce the workforce by 240 people, about 10 percent of our staff, through voluntary buyouts.
We got the gang together IRL for our second day of bargaining with the company! The Guild is fighting for fair wages, pay equity, a flexible remote-work policy and greater inclusivity.
Together, we will make The Washington Post a better place to work for all.
Our incredible dance critic
@SarahLKaufman
has been at The Post 28 years. She’s the most senior person on the Features Arts team. But the Post claims it doesn’t have to respect her seniority because she’s the only dance critic.
We know that’s bogus.
1) We welcome public support in our campaign for a fair contract with The Washington Post. However, we view President Trump’s tweet as an attack on us and our mission. It is not helpful to our cause.
Our union is thrilled to announce that our company, The Washington Post, has finally extended its parental leave policy to 20 weeks — 16 weeks longer than the current paid time allotted to new parents after the adoption or birth of a child
We asked for humane severance for Post employees laid off during the holidays. Management left us at the bargaining table.
We summarized today's bargaining session in this thread.
Today, dozens of Post Guild members came to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair severance package for our laid-off colleagues.
But instead of engaging with us, management walked out.
So much for Democracy Dies in Darkness.
We’ll continue to hold the company accountable and fight these seemingly arbitrary terminations in every way we can — including helping our colleagues find other jobs within the newsroom and securing the severance packages they deserve.
It feels especially egregious when our colleagues are in the midst of covering and delivering urgent + unrelenting news from around the world, including 2 wars, a presidential election, assaults on American democracy, the growing climate catastrophe + an affordable housing crisis
We work at a newspaper. Asking questions and holding powerful people accountable is our job — and we’re good at it. We’ll keep asking questions until we get real answers.
We hope management is ready to engage with staffers at the company-wide Town Hall and bargaining next week.
Late last week, around 20 of our colleagues were abruptly let go as The Washington Post ended
@WapoExpress
’ 16-year-run, giving its employees less than 24 hours notice that they were out of jobs.
Here are the talented journalists who made the paper.
Our proposals for a more robust, improved contract include:
- Raises for all
- Higher salary floors
- Better benefits
- Fair and flexible remote work
Among other proposals honed by dozens of Guild members who put in months of research.
Solidarity with the staff of the
@AP
and Emily Wilder. We hope management provides swift answers on her termination and clarifies the newsroom's social media practices.
A statement from
@AP
staff:
We love the AP. We also want it to change.
We hope the institution that we serve with bravery and tenacity every day will join us in charting a more equitable future.
More than 450 of our colleagues signed a pledge to walk out during lunch to demand that The Post get serious & give us a wage proposal.
Many folks are participating remotely — from offices in NY, SF & elsewhere. But hundreds are standing in solidarity in Franklin Square. (6/x)
Our
@washingtonpost
readers have been writing to our bosses explaining what Post journalism — and Post journalists — are worth to them.
Send your own solidarity letter here:
.
@SarahLKaufman
said it best: “You are attacking the kind of specialized expertise upon which the Washington Post has built an unparalleled legacy of excellence. … What the Washington Post is absolutely saying here is that journalists develop expertise at their peril.”
Management at
@washingtonpost
told us they have no further movement on their buyout package. This week, dozens of Guild members gave testimonies about just how unacceptable that is. Here are some of their words:
Our staff has produced Pulitzer Prize-winning work through a pandemic, a nationwide reckoning, a war and more, all while dedicating ourselves to carrying out the mission of The Post.
It’s time for the company to make good on its promises of an equitable workplace.
After the unjustified layoffs earlier this year, we hope that other cost-cutting measures have been explored: reductions to exec. salaries + the company’s expensive outside counsel,
@JonesDay
, who has aided The Post in its lengthy, ongoing contract fight against its own employees
It's day 3 of bargaining for a fair contract and the return-to-office mandate is on the agenda. Management's strict 3/2 in-office policy is not working for many of our members and though exceptions are being made, the process is opaque and unequal.
The company is also forcing laid-off employees to accept a 24-month ban on reemployment as a condition of their severance. These are experienced, award-winning journalists who have already invested years at this paper. But The Post doesn’t want them back.
Our members need answers about the financial health of the company. We need to know that, if further layoffs happen, Post employees will be treated humanely and respectfully in accordance with the contract.
Our bosses
@washingtonpost
are still denying us a fair deal.
Your help during our 24-hour strike was invaluable. Now we’re asking you to turn up the pressure again.
A few findings
- Women as a group are paid less than men
- Men receive a higher percentage of merit pay raises than women, despite accounting for a smaller proportion of the newsroom
Appalled, our colleagues called out questions, at which point the company cut the livestream for those not in the room.
Ryan rebuffed our questions and stormed out of the town hall, leaving everyone stunned.
We are infuriated about this decision and concerned for our dedicated, brilliant colleagues. Today’s announcement comes after at least 38 people were laid off over the last year.
- Collectively, employees of color are paid less than white men, even when controlling for age and job description
- Gender pay disparities are most pronounced among journalists under 40
Our 600+ members won’t let him.
Washington Post employees — people with world-class experience, institutional knowledge and unique skills that can’t be easily replaced — must be part of any transformation to this company. Stay tuned.
Several Black employees say they have been shut out of promotion opportunities and asked to take on menial tasks outside their permanent roles — making it harder to advance.
And many Black employees are leaving The Post because of it.
The Post claims that the severance package should be negotiated privately and separately from regular contract bargaining. But the company’s awful treatment of our colleagues is relevant to our ongoing contract negotiations. Members have a right to be included in these meetings.
At the end of the event, publisher Fred Ryan announced a “single-digit decrease” in the workforce in Q1 of 2023.
In the same breath, Ryan said The Post will continue to grow. He didn’t say whether those laid off would be offered the chance to be rehired or reassigned.
During contact bargaining, the Guild pushed for a better 401(k) match.
Today, the Post finally answered that call. This is a great win — and proves that the collective voice of employees still matters.
👇Here’s the Guild’s full response:
Our members had crucial questions about the reasons for these layoffs and the callous manner in which they were conducted. The company is attempting to disregard seniority, ban employees from seeking new jobs at The Post, and ultimately violate our contract.
The Guild was made aware of these buyouts at the same time as the rest of the Post staff. Guild leadership will work in the coming days to secure the most fair and generous buyout package for our members and support all of our colleagues impacted by these buyouts.
Employees are outraged at the idea of layoffs during a time of supposed growth at a formidable news empire.
It’s no reassurance to dedicated workers who have given years of service to this company that The Post will continue to hire new people even as they lose their jobs.
Last week, The Post quietly laid off seven members of the Arc XP team. There was no internal announcement, no recognition of the employees’ hard work and no explanation as to why their jobs were cut.
So what’s the truth?
Why can’t our publisher give us the transparency we hold as the central tenet of this news organization?
How can he turn his back on workers with urgent questions and valid concerns?
If you believe in the power of local journalism to hold the government accountable, to bring levity to your day, or to tell you something new about the region you love, please consider emailing epulleyhayes
@wamu
.org to save DCist. We rely on readers and listeners like you.
The historic wins in this tentative agreement came as a result of relentless advocacy from hundreds of Guild members, who fought hard for contract guarantees that reflect our values: fair pay, a safer and more equitable workplace and fundamental job protections for all.
Offering $10 a week in pay increases – or about 0.6 percent of the median salary and less than half the current rate of inflation – is unfair and even shocking from someone who believes democracy dies in darkness.
#WaPoStrong
The
@washingtonpost
is a news organization. Journalists who work here ask powerful people for answers every day.
Tomorrow, we will turn that accountability inward and ask our publisher to speak truth to his employees. Stay tuned.
Though The Post spent the past few weeks insisting they had no further movement for us, our members’ tireless organizing, and the public’s outpouring of support, forced company leaders back to the table today.
This gesture, while encouraging, indicates that The Post has the financial resources to invest in issues it deems important.
We believe there are no issues more important than addressing systemic, institutionalized discrimination and diversity shortcomings within the company.
At a town hall in September, Ryan said the Post has “enormous financial capacity” and “could weather any economic downturn.”
That’s not what we heard today. We were told the advertising sector was already in recession and cuts were necessary.
All we are asking for is fairness for each and every employee who contributed to this company’s success: fair wages; fair benefits for retirement, family leave and health care; and a fair amount of job security.
#WaPoStrong
Despite this, we nevertheless are heartened to see that the advocacy of our members was heeded and the company has instead turned to buyouts — a more humane practice — for this round of staff reductions.
More than 400 of us have signed this petition and we're just asking you to listen.
Please show the world that you not only can lead the way in creating wealth, but that you also know how to share it with the people who helped you create it.
#WaPoStrong
We are sad to lose our colleague, Darran Simon, who spent his career reporting on difficult subjects with compassion.
"I am drawn to writing about suffering and trauma," he once noted, "because I am in awe of the human spirit’s ability to persevere."