Chicago Tribune Guild

ICYMI, @Suntimes covered our Freedom Center picket today. We’re all back at work tomorrow, but here’s what went down today: chicago.suntimes.com/business/2024/…

Cutting that hurts Chicago. Our readers and these journalists deserve better. We call on the Tribune to finally explain these layoffs. And we demand the newspaper show greater respect for Muslim journalists in the future. (5/5)

They helped the city better understand different experiences. They created dignified representation for people who too often don’t get that from media. Over and over, they told stories that other reporters just can’t tell. (4/5)

Nine of our Chicago Tribune Guild colleagues have left our newspaper since our owner, Alden Global Capital, initiated a series of layoffs, buyouts & reassignments two months ago. Three of them were laid off. Each of our laid off colleagues is Muslim. (1/5)

@lizzie_kane17 @sean_hammond @AhmadShanzeh @radbrowndads Pinar Istek anchored the night shift on the photo desk, directing after-hours visual coverage of breaking news. She is a proactive leader who looks out for the whole photo desk and was an essential part of dozens of breaking stories.

@lizzie_kane17 @sean_hammond @AhmadShanzeh .@radbrowndads went deep on all angles of Chicago’s vibrant food scene way beyond the plate — the economic, cultural and political winds that power it, but also the fun and community that springs up around it.

Today, @chicagotribune laid off five guild staff members in a roughly 10% cut to our newsroom. These layoffs underscore a sad but unsurprising failure of leadership by Alden Global Capital, our hedge fund owner, and local management.

Working with us to improve the terms of the buyout could help avert layoffs and minimize the damage to our product and our business. Instead, they're choosing to obfuscate.

We have no information on what the financial goals are for this buyout, whether they might lay off members or why this is happening. The company has only given a vague justification of economic uncertainty.

With a buyout window opening this week, our newsroom's managers are nowhere to be seen and haven't directly communicated a word. Our members have a lot of questions, and we won't accept this treatment from our leaders. @SCMitchP and @pjurik need to say something.

This weekend, dozens of Chicago Tribune journalists will be on standby as huge protests promise to arise in our city. At the same time, many of us will be organizing to fight buyouts. Our work is essential to democracy, and it's under attack. I'm grateful for my union today.