Press Release: Austin journalists are unionizing

Austin American-Statesman, community papers announce plans to unionize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 9, 2020

Contact: Austin NewsGuild, austinnewsguild@gmail.com

AUSTIN, Texas — Journalists at the Austin American-Statesman and its six community newspapers announced Wednesday that they are taking steps to unionize at the 150-year-old institution.

A majority of the papers’ reporters, photographers, columnists and other employees on Wednesday joined in asking Gannett, the paper’s parent company, to voluntarily recognize the Austin NewsGuild.

The Austin NewsGuild, a unit of the NewsGuild-CWA, will work to create stability for the papers’ journalists and strengthen the coverage they provide for readers in an increasingly unstable industry, one plagued by budget cuts, layoffs, a lack of diversity and dwindling resources.

Gannett and the American-Statesman have not been immune to these challenges. The remaining staff deserves a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that impact the future of the newspaper.

While the American-Statesman’s corporate leadership has changed three times in the past three years, its reporters and photographers have been here, working for Austin. Their mission and commitment to the community has remained unchanged: to hold the powerful accountable and speak for those in need.

They will further that commitment through a union. The Austin NewsGuild will advocate for increased staff positions, stable benefits, career growth opportunities, anti-racist practices and diverse hiring efforts, giving employees the tools they need to be successful and produce quality journalism.

Request for voluntary recognition

A majority of union-eligible employees across these seven newsrooms have signed their names to a mission statement outlining the goals and vision of their union. 

“A community as engaged and invested as Austin deserves a publication that reflects those qualities in its quest to hold powerful parties accountable, give voice to the underrepresented and underserved, and celebrate the vibrancy of our Central Texas home,” the statement reads. “For these reasons, we are forming a union to safeguard our future as a vital news provider, better preserving the resources we need to report on the issues and interests of our fellow community members.”

In Texas, the Dallas Morning News became the first major newspaper to unionize in recent history, followed shortly thereafter by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Dallas NewsGuild earned its union certification after an overwhelming victory in a newsroom-wide election facilitated by the National Labor Relations Board.

In Fort Worth, leaders at the Star-Telegram decided to voluntarily recognize the Fort Worth NewsGuild, honoring their journalists’ request to unionize.

Journalists at the American-Statesman submitted a letter to newsroom leadership seeking voluntary recognition of its union effort on Wednesday, which would bypass the need for an election, saving time and money for both the company and its staff.

If Gannett chooses not to honor the wishes of the vast majority of the American-Statesman’s journalists by granting voluntary recognition, there will be an election.

The Austin NewsGuild submitted the required paperwork to the National Labor Relations Board to request a union certification election at the American-Statesman. Its journalists would be happy to withdraw this request if Gannett agrees to voluntarily recognize the Austin NewsGuild.

Widespread support among staff

Support for a union runs deep at the American-Statesman. Journalists from across the newsroom are eager to have a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that affect the future of the newspaper.

“No one has a more vested interest than the actual reporters and editors who put out the American-Statesman every day and who take such immense pride in the product,” said Kirk Bohls, a sports columnist who has worked at the American-Statesman for 47 years. “We want to play a strong role in reshaping the business and hope to lend our creative energy and responsible input toward collectively joining with management to make the paper better on a daily basis for our valued readers.”

Courts Reporter Katie Hall, who has worked at the American-Statesman for seven years, said she supports the Austin NewsGuild because it will help build a stronger paper for readers in Austin.

“We love this paper and understand how important it is for our Austin community,” Hall said. “We’re ready to help shape its future.”

Bob Sechler, business and government reporter, said resources are rapidly shrinking, at a time when there is a critical need for credible sources of information. 

“It’s important for front-line journalists at the Statesman to stand together, with the aim of working cooperatively with management to craft a way forward that ensures our community continues to receive the strong coverage it deserves,” said Sechler, who has worked at the American-Statesman for four years.

Reporters provide “an essential service for their community” and deserve to have their voices heard in their workplace, said Addie Broyles, the American-Statesman’s food writer.

“I've seen too many talented journalists take jobs elsewhere and listened to too many of my current colleagues voice frustration that their concerns aren't being heard,” said Broyles, who has been at the paper for 14 years. “As a union, we can work together with management to find ways to improve the workplace and create a more inclusive workplace.”

Catarino Vasquez, sports bridge editor, said this loss of talent is exactly why he supports a union.

“At the Statesman we work together every day, serving the community by telling stories that need to be told,” said Vasquez, who has been at the Statesman for 15 years. “It’s time we work together to ensure, through unionizing, that we can keep telling those stories at a high standard. We’re done losing veterans with institutional knowledge and promising young journalists without a fight.”

Editorial Assistant Veronica Serrano, who has worked at the American-Statesman for 16 years, said a union is the best way for employees to speak up to corporate ownership and safeguard the newspaper’s future.

“It is unconscionable that in the midst of a pandemic, our company continues to cut staff and forces remaining employees to take on additional responsibilities, many with no additional compensation,” Serrano said. “Having a collective bargaining unit is the only way for us to have a voice to address these and many other grievous wrongs, and will give us a chance to fight for our newsrooms and restore the balance of power for future generations.”

About The NewsGuild-CWA

The NewsGuild-CWA is the largest union of journalists and other communications employees in North America, representing more than 24,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada. The Communications Workers of America represents more than 700,000 employees in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, broadcast and cable television, health care, public service and education, law enforcement, manufacturing and other fields.