Rochester Democrat and Chronicle journalists are on strike!
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Unionized journalists at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle are on STRIKE. We’ve been fighting for years for a new contract, but Gannett continues to bargain in bad faith and stall negotiations.
Enough is enough. Local reporters are what make local news, and it’s time Gannett acknowledged that we are the reason for its success.
We officially launched our strike at 12:00 am on Saturday, which means any reporting that you read in the Democrat & Chronicle is now the work of scab labor.
For the latest reporting on Rochester - including the solar eclipse passing through the region this week - turn to the Gannett Union Press.
We asked Gannett to withhold bylines in the event of a strike. The company not only didn’t do that, but is repurposing old reporting. It’s just a continuation of Gannett’s heartless approach to its staff. For the past 2+ years, Gannett has used every trick in the union-busting playbook to prevent us from winning a fair contract, including multiple ULP charges. Gannett has also decimated our newsroom, which has gone from 86 employees in 2011 to just 24 now.
For decades, the Democrat and Chronicle was Gannett’s crown jewel, its flagship paper and the place where a young Frank Gannett got his start. We can restore the D&C to its rightful place as a beacon for the Rochester community - but we have to start with respect for the journalists who make the D&C run.
Read our strike paper
Zoo draws visitors from hundreds of miles away. By Laura Nichols
Rochester D&C Reporter: Why I’m On Strike. By Emily Barnes
Photo Gallery: A Total Eclipse in Rochester. By Tina MacIntyre-Yee
We’re Fighting for The News Our Communities Deserve
In the last decade, corporate robber barons, in pursuit of short-term profit, have shuttered the doors of thousands of local papers and half of all journalist jobs have disappeared. Entire communities have been left without meaningful coverage. The remaining media workers are being pushed to the brink to produce top-tier journalism while suffering in the lowest-tier conditions. As members of The NewsGuild-CWA, we want to ensure that regional and local journalists can live and thrive in the communities they serve across the United States.
To strengthen our democracy, to strengthen our communities, to promote civic engagement and civil discourse, newsrooms must be fully staffed, diverse, and have conditions that support long careers.
Adequate Hiring
Gannett has cut thousands of jobs across the country and allowed vacancies to remain unfilled, forcing employees to produce top-tier coverage with smaller and smaller staffs. Gannett must immediately increase hiring and commit to providing the resources that good local journalism requires.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In-depth, accurate and balanced news coverage requires employees that have a diversity of views, cultures and backgrounds who can navigate the communities they serve. As Gannett hires, trains and promotes employees, it must seek to improve diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the company.
Ability to Advance in the Craft
Gannett must offer fair pay so that local journalists can live and thrive in the communities they serve. To retain talent, they must have job security, access to training and career development, healthful and safe working conditions and advancement opportunities. Workers must be afforded the benefits and paid-time off that support healthy work-life balance.
“For many of us, organizing as the Atlantic DOT Guild is about dignity, in one way or another. For me personally, it’s not just to fight for fair pay in relation to the ever-growing list of responsibilities falling on the shoulders of an increasingly weary production team; it’s also about advocating for the work we do and to underscore just how valuable it is. This plane doesn’t fly, so to speak, without producers, and yet we have very little agency as to what that flight path looks like. We’re overworked and yes, underpaid, and that comes at the ultimate expense of a worse experience for our readers. I’m immensely proud to be a part of the Atlantic DOT Guild as we continue to push for not just our dignity, but for producers and all employees Gannett-wide.”
“I’ve been so lucky to work for my hometown paper. My colleagues and I want to continue The Record’s history of excellent local journalism, but the excessive layoffs and minimal protections make it harder and harder for us to do our jobs. I hope that by forming a union, I can continue to serve the state I call home.”
Why We Organized
“I am tired of watching my female colleagues walk out the door because management won’t listen to their ideas or appreciate their talents. I am tired of being asked to do more work with no compensation while the CFO gets a $600K bonus for furloughing and laying us off. I am tired of my colleagues and myself having to work second jobs to live in areas we cover. The APP-MCJ Guild gives us an opportunity to refocus at a good rate on the local journalism our community deserves. That’s why I’m proud to be a founding member.
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“For generations, the three papers represented by our union have been trusted allies to the distinct communities they serve. Our organizing effort is the best way to strengthen that alliance in the face of Gannett’s drive to regionalization.”
“Rochester’s newsroom has a proud union legacy that dates back to 1935. Some of our predecessors’ contract fights have gone on for well over a decade. Our most recent contract expired in 2019 and we don’t intend to go down that long of a road again. We are excited to be joining forces with Gannett’s newest unions and we’re ready to fight equitable, living wages at Gannett.”