LA Times union secures new deal to avert strike

Los Angeles Times journalists have averted a strike by ratifying a new labour contract after nearly two months since authorising strike action. Approximately 87 percent of members of the Los Angeles Times Guild, which represents around 200 newsroom staff including reporters, editors, photographers, and designers, voted to approve the deal. This outcome brings to a close a protracted and challenging bargaining process that extended beyond a typical three-year contract term.

The negotiations unfolded amid significant newsroom turmoil, including the loss of a respected top editor, multiple rounds of layoffs, and union opposition to the paper’s adoption of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, signalling tensions over workers’ futures in an evolving media landscape. The union also undertook its first-ever work stoppage in response to staffing cuts during this period. Reflecting the shrinking scale of the bargaining unit, the Guild began with some 450 members but saw that number drop to just over 200 mid-year, underscoring the broader industry pressures and downsizing facing the newspaper.

The new contract offers substantial wage increases over its term, a notable victory for union members. Staff will receive annual raises of $3,000 in the first year, $2,750 in the second, and $2,500 in the third. Community News employees will receive even larger raises of $5,000 in the first year and $4,000 in subsequent years. Beyond pay, the contract codifies key workplace protections and cultural recognitions: Juneteenth is enshrined as an official holiday; protections are extended to employees using their chosen names and pronouns; and the agreement commits the newspaper to responding when employees face online harassment. It also mandates disclosure of mandatory drug testing in job postings and creates union-covered “per diem” roles to limit reliance on non-union freelancers or temporary workers.

Although the union achieved numerous key wins, it acknowledged shortcomings. Efforts to secure strong seniority protections saw only “marginal success,” signalling ongoing challenges in safeguarding workforce stability amid continual restructuring pressures. The declaration by Matt Hamilton, chair of the Guild unit and a Times reporter, expressed both relief and fortitude: “It should not have taken this long to get here. But despite management’s repeated attempts to stonewall talks and sow division, our members endured and came out stronger on the other side.”

This new labour deal echoes the Los Angeles Times’ first-ever newsroom union contract secured in 2019, which introduced basic pay raises, job protections, parental leave, severance pay, and diversity hiring commitments for historically underrepresented groups. Since then, the paper’s newsroom has faced a cascade of industry upheavals, including layoffs and new technology deployments, reflecting broader trends across media companies confronting economic pressures and digital transformation.

The pact’s specific protections regarding AI usage are particularly resonant given ongoing industry-wide debates. For instance, recently ratified contracts in Hollywood’s Animation Guild and other entertainment industry unions have grappled publicly with AI provisions, debating notification processes, job security, and fair consultation, issues that journalists at the Times also confronted amid the paper’s implementation of AI tools. The contrast in approaches highlights the evolving challenges unions face in guarding their members’ roles and workplace rights in an era where automation and digital tools are rapidly reshaping work.

This agreement at the Times also fits into a broader context of labour negotiations in Southern California during 2024, marked by multiple sectors of workers, including hotel employees and Hollywood crew unions, securing new contracts featuring wage increases, improved benefits, and sometimes tense resistance over technological impacts. Notably, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and Teamsters have similarly negotiated amid heightened labour activism post the high-profile writers’ and actors’ strikes, reflecting a vigorous moment for organised labour in the region.

Though the Los Angeles Times Guild contract was reached after a near strike authorisation and intense bargaining, it ultimately avoided the work stoppage with significant gains for its members. The union’s ability to ratify this deal after a marathon 20-hour session in mid-November underscores both the toughness of newsroom labour relations and the resilience of journalists determined to protect their professional and economic interests as the industry continues to evolve.

Source: Noah Wire Services