The United Media Guild

NewsGuild pushes for public assistance for news media industry amid pandemic crisis

News-gathering operations are essential for a well-functioning society, especially in times of crisis. However, many newsrooms have been reduced to skeletal staffs and some have disappeared altogether. Declining advertising revenue, leveraged corporate consolidations, and asset stripping by vulture capitalists have...

Lee Enterprises, Gannett request furloughs with newspaper revenues plunging amid pandemic

Lee Enterprises and Gannett are asking our members to agree to furloughs during the next three months with those companies suffering big financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lee is asking our members to accept two weeks of unpaid...

UMG member in “Fight for 15” campaign is suffering from coronavirus

A United Media Guild member who works for the National Fast Food Workers Union has become critically ill with the coronavirus. The Go Fund Me account set up for this individual's crisis has been disabled. We will update this post...

Guild signs 18-month contract extension with St. Louis Review.

This morning, following a ratification vote by the St. Louis Review bargaining unit, the United Media Guild signed an 18-month contract extension with the St. Louis Review.  The agreement contains no changes to the terms and conditions of employment but...

Springfield News-Leader newsroom votes unanimously to join the United Media Guild

The newsroom of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader voted 13-0 on Friday to join the United Media Guild. Bargaining on a first contract there will begin shortly. We welcome this outstanding group of journalists to the UMG. They have continued doing...

Lee Enterprises gets stronger with purchase of Warren Buffett’s chain, but Alden vultures lurk

From the United Media Guild’s perspective, a newspaper's best outcome is to find a buyer committed to supporting strong local journalism for the public good. But these days a newspaper is more likely to get caught up the consolation of...

Hello, Mr. Jones.

Mr. Allen Jones Gannett Missouri Publishing Inc.   December 6, 2020   Mr. Jones,   An overwhelming majority of newsroom employees at the Springfield News-Leader have signed union authorization cards stating that they desire to be represented by the United...