NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America (TNG-CWA) President Jon Schleuss joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the recent 24-hour strike by 1,100 TNG-CWA members at the New York Times.
Workers went on strike for higher pay, sustainable healthcare and better retirement benefits, Schleuss said. He explained that the Union’s strategy for short work stoppages is to show companies its membership is prepared to go on an extended strike at any time. The TNG-CWA has successfully used this strategy numerous times, including at the New Yorker Magazine, Buzzfeed News, the Miami Herald and Reuters, he added.
Schleuss also spoke about ongoing strikes at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
He then criticized a recent judge’s decision to force Starbucks Workers United, a union supporting the organizing of thousands of Starbucks workers across the U.S., to turn over private messages between workers and journalists. He said the decision violates labor laws, as well as the First Amendment.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.