Big Bang' Creates New TNG-CWA Unit in Bay Area

BANG-East Bay staff writers and Northern California Newspaper Guild organizers Josh Richman, left, and Karen Holzmeister celebrate their organizing victory.

A big victory for a campaign dubbed "One Big Bang" has created a new unit of The Newspaper Guild-CWA comprising 225 workers at the largest newspaper company in northern California's Bay Area.

Reporters, photographers, copy editors and other newsroom workers at nine papers owned by Denver-based MediaNews Group cast ballots June 13 at seven polling sites in an election run by the National Labor Relations Board.

"This vote represents a powerful investment in the future of journalism in the Bay Area, one that's going to move us all forward, both staff and managers," said Contra Costa Times reporter Sara Steffens, co-chair of the organizing committee. "It will be good for our news coverage and good for our communities."

The election capped a nine-month organizing drive that began after MediaNews merged newsroom operations at the Oakland Tribune and four smaller newspapers with the non-union Contra Costa Times. After the merger, MediaNews withdrew recognition of the existing Guild unit.

Rather than play defense, the Northern California Media Workers, TNG-CWA Local 39521, decided to organize all the papers that were now part of what MediaNews calls its Bay Area News Group (BANG) – East Bay. Workers called their campaign, "One Big Bang: One Guild Universe."

TNG-CWA President Linda Foley said the BANG victory is part of an ongoing effort for the Guild at MediaNews, building both worker and community support.

"Using strategic industry funds, we have focused on the importance of having quality, local journalism," Foley said. "The journalists at BANG saw a union that was strong and could fight for them and their profession.  The terrific group of Guild supporters who have hung on at what used to be the Alamedia Newspaper Group now find themselves in a bigger, stronger and more powerful Guild, ready to ensure that they are partners  -- not pawns -- in an industry transitioning into a digital world."

Despite a strong counter-campaign by management and anti-union consultants, the BANG organizers ran a positive campaign. They repeatedly reached out to MediaNews executives and publicly stated that both the Guild and management cared deeply about the papers' quality and future of journalism.

"We're looking forward to working together with management to ensure our papers and web sites are as efficient and high-quality as possible," said Karl Fischer, another Contra Costa Times reporter and a campaign co-chair. "We know management is interested in those goals too."

Contract negotiations are expected to be underway soon. Currently, members are talking about contract priorities at the bargaining table and who they want to represent them at the bargaining table.