AUSTIN, Texas — Gannett, the parent company of the Austin American-Statesman, and Austin NewsGuild, the labor union representing that paper’s journalists, have reached a deal on a new two-year labor agreement after more than three years of collective bargaining.
According to the Statesman, the new contract will result in pay raises over the two-year span of the deal, sets minimum wage levels for new, five-year and 10-year reporters, photographers, producers and planners, and includes a wage increase for those at or over the minimum in each of the contract’s two years.
The wage breakdowns are:
- A minimum of $50,000 per year for new hires
- A minimum of $55,000 per year for five-year veterans
- A minimum of $60,000 per year for 10-year veterans
The Austin NewsGuild said more than 94% of its voting members approved the contract, and each member of the union will receive pay raises.
Other items awarded to the union in the deal include:
- Seniority-based protection
- $50 cellphone reimbursements
- Meal reimbursements while working
- PTO for all members of the Austin NewsGuild
- Guardrails for AI use
- Safety protections
The Statesman reports that the new contract also freezes healthcare premiums during its first year and offers training and mentorship for journalists new to the company.
This is the first labor contract the Austin NewsGuild has reached with Gannett since it voted to unionize in 2021.