Journalists walk out at Miami Herald and sister papers

Journalists at the Miami Herald and its sister outlets Bradenton Herald, and el Nuevo Herald took to Twitter Friday to say they were walking out for the day to protest low wages at McClatchy.

Why it matters: It’s the latest labor battle at a major local news outlet. Labor-management hostility erupted last year across Gannett newsrooms.

Details: In a press release, the One Herald News Guild said the one-day work stoppage was done to “demand a fair contract and that McClatchy, the newspapers’ parent company, follow labor laws and respect unionized journalists across the country.”

• The guild noted that colleagues at other McClatchy newsrooms in Idaho, Texas, Washington, and the Carolinas “will stand in support” of improved working conditions and demand that McClatchy agrees to fair contracts.
• The editorial employees of el Nuevo Herald, the Miami Herald and Miami.com voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating a union in 2019.
• The walkout was virtual since the Miami Herald no longer has a physical newsroom.

What they’re saying: “It isn’t a decision we take lightly,” tweeted Sarah Blaskey, an investigative reporter at The Miami Herald. “We all love this paper and the community we serve. That’s why we aren’t working—to tell our parent company, @mcclatchy, to protect local news.”

The big picture: More news outlets around the country have been leveraging walkouts and strikes as a bargaining tactic with management.

• BuzzFeed News’ union voted in favor of a strike last week in response to an announcement that the company plans to cut more than 30 newsroom jobs.
• BuzzFeed News union members walked out on the job last year over contract terms.
• The New York Times’ products review site Wirecutter held a five-day walkout last year in an effort to get management to negotiate wage increases.