Reporters pledge to strike against McClatchy Media
We’re ready to strike.
An overwhelming 90% of union members at the Idaho Statesman, The Tacoma News Tribune, Tri-City Herald, The Olympian and Bellingham Herald have signed a pledge to go on strike against McClatchy Media.
Owned by a New Jersey hedge fund, McClatchy Media operates newspapers in 30 markets with 65 million monthly readers and boasts more than 50 Pulitzer Prizes. The company has spent recent years buying up unproven AI technology and celebrity tabloids instead of investing in its newsrooms. Now it claims it can’t afford to pay employees a stable income.
Our strike pledge comes after 11 months of grueling bargaining in which McClatchy has steadfastly refused to raise the wage floor above $52,000 for current employees. Company leaders have demanded journalists write 20% more stories and produce 50% more videos this year, while only offering 2% yearly raises — well below inflation.
But our fight is not just for our own financial well-being. We are fighting for the future of local journalism.
To have experienced eyes and ears in your community, you need journalists who can stick around and build a life instead of bouncing from job to job. Nobody expects to get rich in this line of work, but it should not be out of reach to have a family, to dream of buying a home or to save for retirement. A sudden car repair or an unforeseen medical bill should not be a crisis.
We have long sought to fight for our communities by highlighting overlooked issues, holding politicians and businesses accountable and giving voice to those who need it. Every day we hear from people asking us to shine a light on untold stories or investigate corruption.
Now, it’s our turn to ask for your help. To go on strike, we need to find a way to keep making rent and paying bills. Please consider donating to our strike fund on GoFundMe. The more money we raise, the longer we can fight.
Let’s fight together for a sustainable future for local news.
Find our GoFundMe at: bit.ly/pnwnewsstrike
Local reporters are available in Washington and Idaho markets for interviews. Request an interview by emailing pnwnewsguildmcc@gmail.com. You can find more information on our website at idwanewsguilds.org. All statements can be attributed to: The Idaho and Washington State News Guilds
