Latest news
Post-Dispatch unit members approve furlough agreement
April 10, 2020
United Media Guild members at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch approved an agreement with Lee Enterprises on the terms of two furlough weeks over the next three months. The UMG had two conference calls Thursday to explain the situation and held...
Lee Enterprises offers no-layoff protection during furlough period
April 7, 2020
The United Media Guild reached a tentative agreement with Lee Enterprises on the parameters of the looming furlough at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This will be subject to membership approval -- and we'll have more about that process soon. The...
NewsGuild pushes for public assistance for news media industry amid pandemic crisis
April 1, 2020
News-gathering operations are essential for a well-functioning society, especially in times of crisis. However, many newsrooms have been reduced to skeletal staffs and some have disappeared altogether. Declining advertising revenue, leveraged corporate consolidations, and asset stripping by vulture capitalists have...
Lee Enterprises, Gannett request furloughs with newspaper revenues plunging amid pandemic
March 31, 2020
Lee Enterprises and Gannett are asking our members to agree to furloughs during the next three months with those companies suffering big financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lee is asking our members to accept two weeks of unpaid...
UMG member in “Fight for 15” campaign is suffering from coronavirus
March 23, 2020
A United Media Guild member who works for the National Fast Food Workers Union has become critically ill with the coronavirus. The Go Fund Me account set up for this individual's crisis has been disabled. We will update this post...
Guild signs 18-month contract extension with St. Louis Review.
February 6, 2020
This morning, following a ratification vote by the St. Louis Review bargaining unit, the United Media Guild signed an 18-month contract extension with the St. Louis Review. The agreement contains no changes to the terms and conditions of employment but...
Springfield News-Leader newsroom votes unanimously to join the United Media Guild
February 2, 2020
The newsroom of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader voted 13-0 on Friday to join the United Media Guild. Bargaining on a first contract there will begin shortly. We welcome this outstanding group of journalists to the UMG. They have continued doing...
Lee Enterprises gets stronger with purchase of Warren Buffett’s chain, but Alden vultures lurk
January 30, 2020
From the United Media Guild’s perspective, a newspaper's best outcome is to find a buyer committed to supporting strong local journalism for the public good. But these days a newspaper is more likely to get caught up the consolation of...