Maine Trust for Local News workers launched a “One Big Union” campaign Tuesday with a rally in South Portland.
Workers filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to welcome nearly 50 additional members into their union.
Megan Gray, the president of the News Guild of Maine and a Press Herald reporter, said a group of nearly 50 workers from other Maine papers filed a petition today.
“We have a really strong union history here amongst these papers, but we have many workers who still do not have the benefit of our collective bargaining agreements and see staggering pay disparity and are vulnerable to layoffs,” Gray said.
The News Guild of Maine already represents employees of the Portland Press Herald and Waterville Morning Sentinel and those at the Kennebec Journal are in the process of joining as well. The Bangor Daily News also is represented by the News Guild of Maine.
Kendra Caruso, reporter at the Lewiston Sun Journal, said unionized members make up to $10 more an hour than nonunionized workers. And she said those not represented have little influence over their work environment.
“That changes today. Today, we demand equal pay, equal respect and the same job securities that our represented colleagues have as one company, one union and under one contract, we will hold the company accountable to its stated mission,” Caruso said.
The unrepresented workers seeking to join are from the Sun Journal, Brunswick Times Record and other weeklies in southern and western Maine.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
