By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
Leaders of organized labor were quick to welcome the Courier Journal Guild into the union fold.
“We congratulate the workers at the Louisville Courier-Journal who have recognized that a collective voice is what’s needed when dealing with a major corporation like Gannett,” said Bill Londrigan, Kentucky State AFL-CIO president.
Newsroom staffers have have voted 22-4 to affiliate with Indianapolis NewsGuild Local 34070, the union at the Indianapolis Star. Representatives of the National Labor Relations Board counted the mailed-in ballots and certified the vote this afternoon.
Like the Courier-Journal, the Indianapolis paper is owned by the Gannett media corporation. The NewsGuild is part of the Communications Workers of America.
"We are beyond thrilled to announce we overwhelmingly voted in favor of unionizing on a 22-4 vote," the C J Guild tweeted immediately after the vote. "We won." The tweet included a photo of a notepad with a handwritten tally.
“The Kentucky State AFL-CIO and its member unions stand in solidarity with the Courier-Journal workers not only in organizing, but also in focusing their efforts to get a fair contract," added Londrigan.
Greater Louisville Central Labor Council Executive Director Tim Morris agrees. “The Greater Louisville Central Labor Council is proud of these journalists who took a courageous stand to change their lives for the better and create a better workplace at the Courier-Journal. We will continue to support these workers through their contract negotiations with the Courier-Journal.”
WFPL's Jacob Munoz reported that Gannett labor relations lawyer Amy Garrard, sent out an email statement that said the company respects "the rights of our employees and their decision. The Courier Journal will continue as the leading news organization in Louisville, focused on our mission — delivering quality journalism that makes our communities better."
Apparently, the paper has published nothing about the union drive since it began in August. "It is not clear whether the Courier Journal’s staff will be permitted to cover the outcome of the vote, which comes amid a wave of union efforts in Louisville and across the country," Munoz wrote.