Urge Daily News in Longview to offer living wages to staff

The following is from the Longview NewsGuild:

LONGVIEW, Wash. (Feb. 10, 2022) — The staff of The Daily News has been at the bargaining table for eight months with Lee Enterprises, working to secure a first contract that will recognize and reward journalists for the tiring work they perform every day.

Among the Longview NewsGuild’s demands is a commitment to equitable living wages that will keep up with the cost of inflation and the housing challenges of the Pacific Northwest. Lee Enterprises, however, continues to deny these workers any meaningful increase. Its latest proposal includes wages of $16.82 an hour for new journalists or $17.31 an hour for journalists with a master’s degree or five years of experience. These numbers are insultingly low.

The union has made several significant concessions already on its initial wage proposal. The company, however, remains unwilling to meaningfully negotiate or explain its refusal to offer better pay. Guild negotiators have repeatedly told management that these wages do not reflect the cost of living in the region. Astrid Garcia, Lee Enterprise’s vice president of human resources and legal, responded that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” with regard to reaching living wages.

TAKE A STAND — Staff members at The Daily News are tired of this dismissive behavior at the bargaining table. These journalists deserve better. As they await the company’s response to the most recent wage proposal, they are asking for your help. Please write to The Daily News and Lee Enterprises leadership as a part of this campaign to show that you value local journalism and support these workers’ fight for good jobs in Cowlitz County.

► From Newsguild.org (March 18, 2021) — Seeking transparency, adequate staffing and more investment, journalists at Longview Daily News announce intent to unionize