Stories

Melanie Burney, Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“I was shocked and disappointed to learn that I was being paid less than some of my white colleagues. I turned my anger into action, and I am now on a mission with The NewsGuild to fight for pay equity for journalists of color and women in newsrooms around the country. I will not be silent on a defining civil rights issue. I encourage those who believe in fairness and justice to stand with me.”

Daniela Altimari, Politics Reporter, Hartford Courant

“After we organized our union, we received records that confirmed what I had long suspected: I was the lowest paid person on my team – and the only woman. I used the information to negotiate a five-figure raise. Had we not organized, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Dusty Christensen, Staff Writer, Daily Hampshire Gazette

“A female co-worker seemed uncomfortable when she approached me in the parking lot and asked me how much money I made. I made a lot more than she did, even though we had the same educational experience and she had more work experience. Similar conversations with the same results sparked our union campaign. Fighting for equal pay is going to be a priority for our union.”

Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large, The 19th

“You don’t really know if you are being paid what your peers with similar experience and seniority are making. You’re not quite sure, right? If this were any other industry, we would be exposing disparity in salaries. And we would be exposing it for the purpose of change. We should be doing that in our industry as well.”

Ana Ley, Government Reporter, Virginian-Pilot

“As a reporter who is way too familiar with being the only Latina in a newsroom, the issue of pay equity was a big reason I asked to join the team negotiating our first contract.”

Kristina Bui, Multi-Platform Editor, Los Angeles Times

“The union gave us a way to prove that everything we suspected about inequity was true. And it gave us the power to fight it.”

Charlie Johnson, Home Page Editor, Chicago Tribune

“When I learned a union had the right to pay data during the bargaining process — and that said data could be scientifically analyzed to determine if pay discrimination exists — I was floored. Why weren't people talking about this? It seemed like half-a-reason to unionize in and of itself.”

Mallika Sen, Editor, Associated Press

“As a woman of color, I’m proud to belong to a union that fights for the same pay for the same experience.”

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Equal Pay Now



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