NewsGuild Members Battle on Two Fronts in New York

Last week, after a testy exchange between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Daily News reporter Chris Sommerfeldt (Daily News Union/TNG-CWA Local 31003), Mayor Adams banned Sommerfeldt from attending future mayoral press conferences. This move came after weeks of the mayor ignoring questions from Sommerfeldt.

NewsGuild of New York President Susan DeCarava sent Adams an email, saying, “Our members have a right to ask you questions, and New Yorkers deserve to have answers to those questions. Frankly, your response raises even more questions about why the mayor of New York City would be so fearful of a journalist doing his job.”

After members of the Daily News Union issued a formal statement on the matter, groups across the city, including PEN America and the New York Press Club, declared their support for the union.

The Daily News Union also finds itself embroiled in a bargaining battle with management and the notorious hedge fund Alden Global Capital to recognize the current staff’s value and agree to a fair contract.

A group of more than 130 former Daily News journalists signed a petition expressing their full support for the union’s contract fight. Among signers are some of New York City’s most prominent journalists, including former columnists Denis Hamill, Michael Daly, and Juan Gonzalez, as well as former editor-in-chief Jim Rich.

“This new generation of Daily News staffers is now part of a skeleton crew fighting to cover the nation’s largest city—all while battling Alden’s wealthy owners for three years to achieve a fair contract,” the petition reads. “What the Union wants is pretty simple: livable wages, job protection, and benefits that recognize the value these journalists bring to The News. Yet Alden’s reps at the bargaining table fight them at every turn.”

You can show your support for press workers at the Daily News by signing this petition.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.