The Press Democrat Guild

Press Democrat Guild Calls on Darius Anderson/SMI and Hearst to Honor Our Contract & Union
We are being SOLD!
The Press Democrat Guild is demanding that owner Darius Anderson/SMI stand by their commitment to community journalism and SMI journalists, and guarantee that Hearst will uphold the terms of our current contract.
Our union has worked with SMI in good faith for years. In 2012, we sacrificed our pension, and agreed to reduce wages and vacation days so that SMI could purchase the newspaper. Recently, we agreed not to participate in a class-action lawsuit to financially shield the company.
We call on Darius Anderson/SMI and Hearst to take immediate action and honor the contract. The Press Democrat workers deserve better.
https://mediaworkers.org/press-democrat-guild-seeks-protections-in-imminent-sale-to-hearst/

Being a journalist is a privilege. We do this work because we care deeply about our community, and we believe local journalism helps keep that community strong. But we still need to be fairly compensated for the work that we do. Because good journalism isn’t cheap…

…And neither is the area where we work and live. Here’s how you can support us: Subscribe to our papers, follow on social media and share our posts, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]. Here’s what’s at stake:

We've been bargaining for over seven months with Sonoma Media Investments, the company that owns the papers we work for, in an effort to increase our wages and improve our working conditions.

A majority of us are considered low-income earners according to state guidelines. Some of us are living paycheck to paycheck. Others pay more than 50% of our wages toward housing. There is no money left for emergencies.

Without livable wages, we cannot afford to live and work in the communities we serve. We believe that investing in newsroom staff is good for business and good for local journalism.

Pacific Media Workers Guild NewsGuild-CWA Communications Workers of America Dripped Out Trade Unionists

The Press Democrat Guild is at Santa Rosa’s Wednesday Night Market, encouraging members of the public to support local journalists. We’re seeking better wages and working conditions. We believe that investing in newsroom staff is good for local journalism and good for the community.



Pacific Media Workers Guild Communications Workers of America NewsGuild-CWA Dripped Out Trade Unionists