Organizing Update

South Bend Tribune

The award-winning newsroom staff of the Gannett-owned South Bend Tribune on Wednesday took a major step toward forming a union to give a voice in the workplace to journalists who keep the community informed and who hold local leaders accountable. The vast majority of employees who contribute reporting, copy editing, page design, and photography within the Tribune newsroom signed cards indicating their desire to be represented by the NewsGuild-CWA.

Members of the South Bend Tribune newsroom who intend to form a union say they are taking this step to preserve the vital role the Tribune plays in telling the stories of the communities they serve.

Tyler James, a sports reporter with the Tribune since April 2012, said the newspaper "endured immense change in the past year. But I can say with certainty that the Tribune will continue to provide the journalism this community needs if the journalists tasked with doing so are given a voice in shaping its future. We are uniting as a union in the hope that we can protect the Tribune and help it thrive."