Idaho Statesman journalists announce plans to unionize
Summary
“The Statesman’s journalists are forming a union with the goal to preserve Idaho news, ensure their ability to tell the community’s stories and give staff a seat at the table,” the group wrote in the prepared statement. Many news organizations across the United States have unionized in recent years, as the industry continues to face declining profits, ownership changes and layoffs. Idaho Statesman employees have faced furloughs, layoffs and a shrinking newsroom, which now has about one-third the staffers it had in 2011, according to the group. Several McClatchy newspapers are already unionized, including the Sacramento Bee and the Miami Herald, and the NewsGuild-CWA is one of seven members on the bankruptcy’s creditors committee. McClatchy’s proposed bankruptcy plan calls for it to become a private business owned by it’s largest creditor, the New Jersey-based hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.