NewsGuild-CWA
The NewsGuild-CWA is a labor union founded by newspaper journalists in 1933.[1] In addition to improving wages and working conditions, its constitution says its purpose is to fight for honesty in journalism and the news industry's business practices. The NewsGuild-CWA now represents workers in a wide range of roles including editorial, technology, advertising, and others at newspapers, online publications, magazines, news services, and in broadcast.[2][3] The current president is Jon Schleuss.[4]
Merged into
Communications Workers of America
1933
26,000
Campaigns[edit]
In 1957, the Guild adopted a resolution demanding that the United States end its prohibition on the travel of American journalists to China.[15]: 190 The Guild described the travel ban as "offensive intrusion against people's right to know in a democracy such as ours and an unwarranted hindrance of newsmen in the pursuit of their duty to keep our people informed."[15]: 190–191
On May 18, 2020, the NewsGuild launched the Save The News campaign to advocate for local news outlets as part of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between January and August 2020, as many as 36,000 journalists had experienced pay cuts, furloughs, or layoffs.[16]
As part of the campaign, the group has supported legislative efforts, such as S.3718, to expand access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for local news outlets that have been excluded from it, as well as H.R.7640 to create tax credits incentivizing subscribing to and advertising in local newspapers.[17]
In July 2020 NewsGuild president Jon Schleuss sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, noting his warning "that the local news industry is facing an extinction-level event".[18]
On April 13, 2021, more than 650 tech workers at The New York Times announced that they were unionizing with the NewsGuild-CWA.[19][20] In July 2021 the workers filed for union certification with the National Labor Relations Board.[21] On August 11, 2021, the New York Times Tech Guild held a half-day work stoppage in protest of alleged union-busting tactics from the New York Times management for which the Guild filed at least three unfair labor practices charges with the NLRB.[22] If the union is certified, it will be the largest union representing tech workers with collective bargaining rights in the country.[23] The New York Times Tech Guild campaign exists within the broader context of the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) initiative by the Communications Workers of America to organize tech, game, and digital workers in the US and Canada.[24]
The Walter P. Reuther Library is the official repository of The Newspaper Guild Official Archives. Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.