We’re calling on Tribune Publishing to work with the Guild to create a more equitable work environment that doesn't discriminate on the basis of race or gender and to take concrete, measurable steps towards increasing diversity and inclusion across our workplaces.
Solidarity shining a light on inequity
Low wages, especially for essential workers, have been at the core of a national debate about labor shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Factor in gender and race, and those disparities are amplified. This is especially evident for journalists, especially at Tribune Publishing.
In the spirit of working to rectify this, NewsGuild members have created and will soon publish a pay equity study encompassing more than a dozen unionized workplaces across the country.
The results, compiled from data including 384 members’ wages and based on anonymized data obtained from Tribune and survey responses, show that Tribune does not equitably compensate workers, employees are taking on more work while being denied raises, that collective bargaining has made a positive impact, and much more.
Here’s our ask:
We’re calling on Tribune Publishing to work with the Guild to create a more equitable work environment for all ㅡ regardless of race or gender ㅡ and to take concrete, measurable steps toward increasing diversity and inclusion across our workplaces.
In short, Do Better Tribune
Key findings
- White members have a higher median pay than nonwhite colleagues, earning about $4,530 more than Hispanic or Latino members, $7,740 more than Black members and $7,510 more than Asian members.
- Median pay for Black women is 22.5% less than that of white men across the company.
- Median pay for women is about $8,000 less than for male colleagues across the company’s unionized workplaces.
- Average pay is significantly higher at the Baltimore Sun and New York Daily News, where members have benefited from collective bargaining for decades.
- More than two-thirds of members said they are undercompensated for their work.
- About a third of members said they work unpaid overtime most weeks, and nearly 15% said that happens every week. In some workplaces, more than half of members said they work overtime most weeks.
- Women report they are assigned more work than men and nonwhite members reported they were assigned more work than white colleagues.
Listen to Tribune Publishing workers speak to the importance of equity in the workplace
For more information: contact@dobettertribune.org
Logo art by @connollyonnolly