The Newsroom Labor Movement Comes to Georgia
As part of a national labor action against Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the U.S., journalists at two of its Georgia papers announced plans to unionize last Monday.
Journalists at the Athens Banner-Herald and Savannah Morning News became the first newspapers in Georgia to seek representation with the NewsGuild-CWA.
The Guild’s website states that about “7,300 of the Guild’s 26,000 members have joined since 2018 at more than 120 newly unionized publications.”
Those titles range from legacy newspapers historically hostile to labor unions to digital only outlets begun this century.
A news release by the Georgia Gannett NewsGuild detailed cost cutting measures by Gannett that’s impacted journalists including layoffs, unpaid furloughs and benefit cuts.
“Last year, Gannett laid off six Georgia employees, including reporters who covered government, education and the National Championship-winning Georgia Bulldogs football team. In addition to unpaid furloughs during the 2022 Christmas holiday, Gannett cut benefits to all employees. Just last week, Gannett dissolved the Georgia GO Team that was formed last summer to cover statewide news, shifting the journalists’ roles as the company realigns to focus on hyperlocal news. Across the state, low wages remain stagnant as cost-of-living and inflation soars, making the job we love to do untenable.
“Even with burdensome conditions, we serve our local and statewide communities with critical news coverage, changemaking investigations and arresting visuals. We are journalists because we want to make our communities a more equitable, inclusive and fun place to live and work. We are unionizing to ensure our own newsrooms are as equitable, fair and supportive as the stories we cover everyday. Andrew Shearer, a 25-year veteran reporter at the Athens Banner-Herald, said, ‘I am choosing to unionize because I want the Athens community to rest assured knowing that I will continue to serve them no matter who owns their local newspaper.’”
That last statement by a 25-year veteran is telling considering Gannett’s CEO’s comments earlier this year that the company may entertain offers to sell some of its smaller newspapers.
The Georgia Gannett Guild consists of two units totaling thirteen eligible members. A mission statement includes eight Savannah signatures and three from Athens.
Gannett also owns the Augusta Chronicle whose newsroom is not joining the effort.
In seeking comment from Gannett via its contact form, this blog was sent the same statement from Amy Garrard, Gannett Labor Relations Counsel that appeared in other news reports about the Georgia papers.
“We respect the right of employees at the Athens Banner-Herald and the Savannah Morning News to make a fully informed choice to unionize or not. Gannett strongly supports the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) election process and has always participated in that process fairly and in good faith. Central to that process is a democratic election in which every employee’s voice is heard.”
Gannett did not immediately respond to a follow-up asking about the potential sale of the Athens or Savannah papers.
A spokesperson for the Georgia Gannett Guild did respond via email about a timeline if the union is not voluntarily recognized and an NLRB vote becomes necessary saying 2–3 weeks would be standard.
The increase in newsroom union membership coincides with shrinking employment numbers and major challenges facing news organizations. Local advertising spending has shifted from print newspapers to online to a small number of Big Tech giants like search engines and social media companies.
In some ways unionization is a defensive move by journalists seeking protection from private equity’s extractive ownership model or abrupt shifts in direction.
A White House statement to Business Outsider, a strike publication by members of the Business Insider union, expressed support for various newsroom labor actions.
“Across the country, we’ve seen a historic wave of newsrooms demanding fair pay and benefits. This week alone, journalists at Gannett, Insider, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remain on strike,” said [White House Press Secretary Karine] Jean-Pierre. “All workers deserve a voice in the workplace, and journalists are no different.”
The percentage of union workers in Georgia is the eighth lowest in the U.S. according to a recent Associated Press story about a successful union vote at bus maker Blue Bird in Fort Valley, GA.
(Journalists at the A.P. are part of the NewsGuild.)
But union interest in the state has grown in recent years with several Starbucks stores seeking recognition and the high-profile film industry featuring IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and other guilds.
A strike by the Writers Guild is currently ongoing. Issues in those negotiations include the industry’s shift to streaming and potential use of AI.
For the public, newsroom unions offer the potential for greater transparency and accountability within media organizations.
Whatever the flaws in local media, and there are many, if something’s not the rank and file’s fault, they’ll have a greater say in addressing it.
