They’ve already shown what they will do if their employees don’t have union protections: fire them for raising the alarm about the Sun’s declining journalistic standards

David Smith and Armstrong Williams’ idea of a contract with union @baltimoresun.bsky.social staff: • Gut long-held protections against unfair discipline and layoffs. • Give management free rein. • Silence staff from speaking out.

We stand in solidarity with Karen Attiah and our siblings at the @postguild.bsky.social. Journalists should not fear reprisal — especially from their employer — for doing their jobs. Write the Post’s opinions editor Adam O’Neal and publisher Will Lewis: actionnetwork.org/letters/wash...

Happy Saturday. Here’s another treasure that @baltimoresun.bsky.social tried to sneak into our contract: “Employees shall be free to engage in any activities outside their working hours” that are not “in conflict with [the company’s] views expressed in its publications.” 🤔

We ran the numbers for @baltimoresun.bsky.social’s “best” offer: they want to rip nearly $800,000 worth of potential severance away from our members in the event of layoffs, averaging out at $27K per unit employee — and $42K for our longest-serving staff members. That’s disparagement.

The Sun emphasized the need to claw away steps and severance from its union staff via its economic package, which offers journalists $$ for appearing on Sinclair stations. Meanwhile, Sinclair has disclosed making more than half a million in revenue off of The Sun since David Smith bought the paper.

The Sun’s “generous” wage offer: staffers give up nearly all guaranteed raises, but journalists get bonuses for hitting arbitrary click quotas — and face discipline if they don’t. We suggested that they reward, not punish, staff for upholding quality journalism. They ignored us and walked away.

#TBT Remember when Sun co-owner Armstrong Williams responded to our concerns with a column about how a “free marketplace of ideas is indispensable?” His and David Smith’s management tried to make us sign a gag rule, then walked away from contract negotiations because we wouldn’t muzzle ourselves.

[email protected] journalists face a gag order imposed by owner David Smith. “They’re trying to scare the union into silence,” says a @baltsunguild.bsky.social leader, addressing the negotiating tactics used by the newspaper’s management. tinyurl.com/dbwhxwt8

David Smith’s first order of business after purchasing The Baltimore Sun was to disparage the newspaper’s dedicated staff at an all-hands meeting. Since then, his company has sought to silence any criticism from the union. We get it, David: You can dish it, but you certainly can’t take it.

We recently invited Baltimore Sun owner/Sinclair chair David Smith to the bargaining table — he suggested that he could get a deal done in “five minutes.” That meeting never came. Instead, his lawyer declared impasse, and told us they’d implement a contract that silences union members.

We’re still around, and we’re still fighting. We’ve been busy trying to negotiate a deal that defends top-notch journalism, quality jobs and a strong union base at Baltimore’s newspaper of record.

Our union journalists work tirelessly to hold the powerful accountable, and that includes in our own workplace. The Baltimore Sun’s ownership wants us silent. Send a message to David Smith and Armstrong Williams: Charm City won’t stand for millionaire union busters.

Baltimore deserves quality journalism, not muzzled union journalists. Tell David Smith and Armstrong Williams: Truth matters. actionnetwork.org/letters/resp...

Thanks for having us on today, @majorityreport.bsky.social! Catch our interview with @samseder.bsky.social about our year-plus of bargaining and the Orwellian “non-disparagement” clause that David Smith’s management is trying to force on us. www.youtube.com/live/ULPaiRQ...

Send a message to David Smith and Armstrong Williams: Respect union journalists. actionnetwork.org/letters/resp...

When the Baltimore Sun opened its new office last year, ownership saw fit to decorate it with “motivational quotes”. Motivational to someone looking to undermine journalism and our union, that is.

One year ago today, Baltimore Sun employees learned their paper had been purchased by Sinclair executive chairman David Smith. In just 12 months, Smith has made his agenda clear, with union-busting tactics and a disregard for journalistic integrity. Here's a look back. (1/5)

A rare newspaper war was brewing in Baltimore. A turbulent ownership change at the Sun may spoil everything. From Poynter: www.poynter.org/business-wor...