Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald journalists take step to unionize
Journalists with the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald said on Wednesday they intend to form a union and asked the company to voluntarily recognize the One Herald Guild without a formal vote of newsroom staff.
Citing financial pressures, cost-cutting and layoffs, a statement from union organizers said a majority of the journalists in the two newsrooms of the South Florida publications supports the effort.
“We are confident that our newsroom leaders want the same thing that we do: a strong, sustainable publication,” the union said in its mission statement. “This is our first step to preserving the Herald’s journalism for generations to come, to making sure our institution will continue to hold the powerful to account by preserving its most important resource: its staff.”
The executive editor and president and publisher of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, Aminda Marqués González, told organizers that the decision to unionize should be put to a vote, citing the process preferred by the National Labor Relations Board.
“We all share a commitment to strong, independent local journalism,” she said in a note to staff. “We have produced fearless, award-winning work and continue to make investments in long-term investigative, accountability and data-driven reporting that have given voice to the powerless, inspired new legislation and strengthened our community.”
“A decision to create a union is a consequential one that should be made after thoughtful and thorough consideration informed by facts,” Marqués wrote. “Every voice deserves to be heard and counted.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2019 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald journalists take step to unionize."
