Austin American-Statesman journalists go on strike for better pay, benefits and protections

Writers and photographers at Austin's daily newspaper joined newsrooms across the country in striking to demand better pay and benefits from one of the nation's biggest media groups.

The strike, which began at 11 a.m. Monday, is part of a nationwide effort by journalists and newsroom workers at Gannett-owned newspapers. The push for better compensation comes as Gannett executives are set to hold their annual shareholder meeting June 5., according to a statement from The News Guild. 

Gannett owns and operates seven other Texas newspapers, including the Abilene Reporter-News, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, El Paso Times, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, San Angelo Standard-Times, and Times Record News in Wichita Falls. It also operates dailies across the country.

Reporters at the Statesman are demanding a floor salary of $60,000, an arguably reasonable wage in a city in which the median home price is over $560,000, according to the Austin Chronicle.

Demands from Statesman reporters aren't just financially motivated, though. Journalists also demand language in new contracts allowing journalists to leave the scene of dangerous situations — such as an active shooter scene — and refuse assignments they believe to be conflicts of interest, the Austin Chronicle reports.

Statesman journalists first began negotiating for a new contract with Gannett two years ago but have yet to make much headway, the Chronicle reports.

Although negotiations between the workers and Gannett have proven fruitless, other newsroom unions in Texas have successfully inked new contracts in recent months.

Earlier this year, reporters from the Dallas Morning News unionized and managed to get a $55,000 wage floor for union members. After a 24-day strike in December, management at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram agreed to a $52,000 wage floor.

The current base salary for reporters at the American-Statesman is a meager $42,000, Axios Austin reports.

During the Fort Worth Star-Telegram strike, writers managed to stay afloat by raising more than $50,000 via a GoFundMe, according to the Chronicle. Reporters at the American-Statesman hope to do the same, so far raising more than $15,000 for journos on the picket line.

The strike began at the Congress Avenue Bridge in front of the old site of the Austin American-Statesman building.

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