NJ Congress Members Support Journalists In Labor Standoff With Gannett

NEW JERSEY — A long-running labor standoff between Gannett and journalists at several newspapers in New Jersey has attracted the attention of eight Congress members, who are urging the company to hammer out a deal with “fair wages and benefits.”

Gannett Co. Inc., the corporation that owns USA Today and more than 200 other daily newspapers across the country, is negotiating with reporters at the Bergen Record, the Daily Record and the New Jersey Herald.

Contract talks have been dragging on for more than three years.

The Record Guild, which represents 68 editorial workers at the Bergen Record, has approved a potential walkout. The NewsGuild of New York released a negotiation update earlier this week, which can be seen here.

Pay that doesn’t match the living standards in the area is among the biggest sticking points, union spokespeople said:

“Bergen County is one of the most expensive counties to live in in New Jersey, with homes at a median value of $692,262. A living wage for a single person with no children is $55,120 annually and over half of the staff make below that, with a shocking number (nearly a quarter of the staff) earning less than $40,000 annually.”

The NewsGuild of New York has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against Gannett on behalf of The Record Guild, the union said.

Reached for comment about the ongoing labor dispute, a spokesperson with the Bergen Record gave Patch the following statement on Tuesday:

“We are absolutely negotiating in good faith to finalize a contract with our valued Bergen Record colleagues, contrary to the inaccurate picture the NewsGuild is painting. We are diligently working to preserve local journalism, whether it’s through legacy print or by delivering relevant content for New Jersey communities as we serve millions of unique visitors and page views each month to NorthJersey.com.”

Now, with a potential walkout looming, eight U.S. House of Representative members from New Jersey are urging Gannett to reach an agreement “as quickly as possible.”

On Thursday, the following Congress members – all Democrats – sent a letter to Gannett CEO Mike Reed: Mikie Sherrill, Donald Norcross, Herb Conaway Jr., Josh Gottheimer, LaMonica McIver, Rob Menendez Jr., Frank Pallone Jr., Nellie Pou, Bonnie Watson Coleman.

“New Jersey families, our economy, and our democracy rely on local journalism,” Sherrill said. “From traffic and weather reports, to updates from town council meetings and investigative journalism that holds the people in power accountable, local journalism provides accessible and transparent information all across the Garden State.”

“However, in recent years, far too many of New Jersey’s news outlets have closed their doors, and our local journalists often do not make enough to live and support their families in a high-cost state like New Jersey,” the congresswoman added.

Patch reached out to Gannett seeking comment about the March 13 letter. A spokesperson confirmed the company is currently negotiating, but declined further comment.

Read the full letter below.

“Dear Mr. Reed:

“Our constituents rely on local, independent journalism to stay informed on key issues, gain transparent access to the workings of our political and economic systems, and hold those in power accountable for their actions. Journalists play a critical role in protecting American democracy and safeguarding our core freedoms and values. However, in New Jersey and nationwide, local newspapers have been decimated over the past decade and have seen their staffing levels dramatically cut. Many journalists today work long hours for low pay and minimal benefits, all the while putting themselves in harm’s way to serve our communities. We believe that they deserve to earn a living wage that can support their family in a high-cost state like New Jersey, and that the future of high-quality journalism throughout the nation relies on good-paying jobs existing in the industry.

“Furthermore, we know that collective bargaining rights and fair negotiations between workers and employers are critical to boosting wages, benefits, and job security for working families. It is critical that workers be able to exercise their legally protected organizing and bargaining rights without interference, and we are committed to ensuring that journalists have access to these protections in New Jersey.

“With this in mind, we are greatly alarmed and disappointed that Gannett – after more than three years of negotiations with workers at several of your local New Jersey newspapers, including the Bergen Record, Daily Record, and NJ Herald – continues to delay progress in negotiations and hasn’t put forward a good faith contract offer, as required by the National Labor Relations Act, that provides good wages and job certainty to your employees in New Jersey. We are furthermore very concerned that Gannett remains the subject of multiple unfair labor practice complaints currently being heard by the National Labor Relations Board. These include allegations relating to overall bad faith bargaining on contracts, discriminating against bargaining unit employees regarding the terms and conditions of employment, refusing to bargain, and engaging in surface level bargaining.

“Given this, we write today to urge you to bargain in good faith, in accordance with Section 8 of the NLRA, with your employees represented by the NewsGuild - Communications Workers of America and to settle contracts as quickly as possible that provide fair wages, benefits, and job security to your employees in New Jersey. We were pleased to see that tentative contract agreements that increase journalists’ pay and job protections were reached between Gannett and workers at three New Jersey publications last week – the Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune, and Courier News. It is our hope that similar good-faith agreements can now be reached with your employees at the Bergen Record, Daily Record, and NJ Herald, and we urge both parties to work in good faith at your next bargaining session to reach a contract agreement as soon as possible.

“We also urge you to immediately address the unfair labor practice complaints that are currently being heard by the NLRB under Section 158 of the NLRA and to cease any actions that unilaterally change your employees’ conditions of employment or discriminate against employees who are members of the bargaining unit.

“We greatly appreciate the important role that your newspapers and publications play in providing accessible information and hard-hitting investigative journalism to our constituents in New Jersey. Local, independent journalism is essential to protecting American democracy and the rights of citizens. However, we believe that large job cuts and stagnant wages will endanger this critical function. It is essential that both parties return to the negotiating table and immediately work in good faith towards a contract that provides good wages, benefits, and job certainty to your employees. We look forward to staying engaged on this issue as bargaining continues, and will continue to stand with local journalists throughout New Jersey.”

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