Timesland News Guild votes on first contract with Lee Enterprises
After an arduous eight months of bargaining, the Timesland News Guild has come to a tentative agreement with Lee Enterprises on a contract, which we hope to ratify by March 10.
Through the tireless advocacy and commitment of Timesland journalists and staffers, this contract proposal achieves pay raises, begins addressing wage disparities and secures important benefits. Among the highlights of the contract proposal:
Most members would get a raise of 2%. This is a significant victory that we would hope to build on in future years to ensure dedicated journalists can afford to stay in journalism. Lee Enterprises fought proposals for any wage increases but our bargainers held firm.
Eleven people (about a quarter of the newsroom) would get a raise in excess of 2% to begin taking long-overdue steps to correct salary inequities.
Members would be assured stronger severance protections, better parental leave and a guaranteed 40-hour work week for full-time staffers.
Timesland members will be voting on the contract proposal with balloting scheduled to start Wednesday, March 3, and end Tuesday, March 9.
This would be the first contract for the newsroom union that formed in 2020. The Timesland News Guild represents over 40 staffers at The Roanoke Times and Laker Weekly.
The guild is dedicated to preserving strong local news coverage for Southwest Virginia.
