The majority of journalists at the Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer have voted to unionize.
According to a statement, the 8-1 vote came last week from the reporters and photographer at the newspapers, which are based in Middletown Township. They have decided to unionize with the NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia.
The move comes after years of staff reductions by out-of-town owners, which started in 2017 with Gatehouse Media and its successor, Gannett, which recently rebranded to USA Today Co.
In a statement, the new members of the union said low wages mean more than half the reporters at the newspapers work second jobs and no reporters under 35 can afford to leave family homes.
“The Courier/Intell has talented reporters and editors, and is the main local news source that Bucks Countians have turned to for 222 years, since the Intell first published,” said JD Mullane, a 39-year veteran of the Bucks County Courier Times. “It’s a wonderful place to work. It will be even better after we negotiate a fair and equitable contract this year.”
USA Today Co., the largest newspaper owner in the country with roots dating back to 1906, operates hundreds of publications across 220 markets. The company has gained an industry reputation for implementing cuts at the local news organizations it acquires.
Credit: Shashi Bellamkonda
Amy Garrand, USA Today Co. vice president of labor relations, said the company respects the staff’s decision.
“These local publications will continue as the leading news organizations in the greater Bucks County area, focused on our mission — delivering quality journalism that makes our communities better,” Garrand said in a statement.
The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia, which also represents employees at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Trentonian, noted that this vote marks the 23rd newsroom under USA Today Co. to unionize in the last 10 years. Staff at The News Journal, a regional hub USA Today Co., are also members.
While the local newspapers have seen print circulation drop from tens of thousands to a few thousand in recent years, the news organization has focused on growing digital traffic for Phillyburbs.com, the publications’ combined website. The newspapers, whose reporters regularly win statewide journalism awards, currently produce a print edition five days a week.
There were previous attempts to unionize the newsrooms at the Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer while the publications were under the ownership of the Calkins family, but those efforts never led to a union
Leave a Comment