Desert Sun journalists headed back to work after reaching deal with Gannett
Update March 3, 2024:
Desert Sun Journalists announced they have reached a tentative contract agreement with Gannett.
The deal includes raises in pay, up to sixteen and a half percent for Guild members, as well as some workplace protections.
The employees' actions for better living conditions reportedly began about 3 years ago.
Desert Sun Journalists say they will return back to work Monday.
Original Post:
Unionized journalists from the Desert Sun’s newspaper announced a strike Friday morning after three years of talks with the paper’s publisher, Gannett.
The Desert Sun Newsguild is accusing Gannett of refusing to offer consistent raises or any protections against health care cost hikes.
The Desert Sun Newsguild is part of the Newsguild-CWA which represents more than a thousand employees.
“We’ve fought for three years to make it clear to Gannett that they need to invest in the workers that get up every day and deliver quality journalism for our communities," said Christopher Damien, a criminal justice reporter for The Desert Sun and unit chair of The Desert Sun NewsGuild in a printed statement,"but they don’t seem to be listening.”
Damien said, “Consistent raises for young journalists so they can afford to live and work in the communities they cover are not only critical for our first contract, they’re critical for the future of this industry.”
The Desert Sun NewsGuild has accused Gannett of refusing to offer consistent raises or any protections against health care cost hikes. The local guild also accused the company of committing multiple unfair labor practice violations during the unionization process.
"They launched a strike fund to support their efforts, which has also seen the company commit multiple unfair labor practice violations during the unionization process," says members of the Guild.
Within the last two years, there have been a few member-led walkouts: a one-day walkout in November 2022, another in February 2023, and a five-day walkout in June 2023.
Guild members plan to hold a rally Monday to talk about the reasons why they are striking and why the nation’s largest newspaper chain should invest more in local journalism in the Coachella Valley.
A local rally to support the Desert Sun journalists is planned for Monday at noon on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Drive and Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.
WHAT: Rally to support Desert Sun journalists
WHEN: Monday, March 4, 2024 – 12:00 pm PT
WHERE: Corner of Tahquitz Canyon Drive and Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs (near the "PS ❤️U" sign)
Amy Garrard, Vice President of Labor Relations at Gannett stated on February 26, "Our goal is to preserve journalism and serve our community as we continue to bargain in good faith. Our community can be assured there will be no disruption to our ability to deliver content and trusted news."
