Hundreds of Washington Post journalists staged a 24-hour strike on Thursday, demanding better working conditions and protesting against the company’s plans to cut 240 jobs.
The strike, which was organized by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, affected the production and delivery of the newspaper and its online content. The union asked readers and advertisers to boycott the Post during the strike and support the workers’ rights.
A sign for the Washington Post is displayed as employees of the Washington Post, joined by supporters, walk the picket line during a 24 hour strike, outside of Washington Post headquarters. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/ AFP)
The strike followed 18 months of unsuccessful contract negotiations between the union and the management. The union said that the Post refused to bargain in good faith and ignored the workers’ concerns about pay equity, inflation, and remote work policies.
The Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said that it faced a $100 million loss this year due to the decline in advertising revenue and digital subscriptions. The company offered voluntary buyouts to its employees, but only about 120 of them accepted the offer.
The union said that the buyouts would disproportionately affect the local news coverage and the diversity of the newsroom. It also said that the Post was profitable and could afford to invest in its staff and journalism.
The strike coincided with the announcement of the Post’s new CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, who will take over from Fred Ryan on Jan. 2. Lewis is a former Wall Street Journal publisher and a veteran media executive.
The union said that it hoped that Lewis would listen to the workers and reach a fair agreement with them. It also said that it was ready to resume the negotiations and end the strike if the management showed willingness to compromise.
