WASHINGTON: Hundreds of staff at The Washington Post walked off the job Thursday in a one-day strike following 18 months of contract talks failed to secure an agreement.
As per media reports, the media sector saw around 17,500 job cuts in the first half of the current year alone. Over the past twenty years, as the internet has eaten into traditional advertising profits, around 2,500 newspapers have closed altogether.
At the same time, The New York Times has flourished, with the Times hitting about 10 million subscribers as it extended into offering games and cooking recipes.
Journalists Go on Strike Over Contract Talks in US
The Washington Post protest comes following failed talks to reach a new agreement over salary, and other conditions. The Times reported that the Post was on track to lose around 100 million dollars in 2023. However, the union said that the crisis occurred due to poor management in the paper.
A firm spokesperson said the paper’s target “remains the same as it has from the start of their talks: to reach deal with the Guild that meets the requirements of their staff members and the needs of their business.”
Earlier, workers at AP also staged a “short break” over their lack of agreement. Their union has rejected a two percent increased offered by firm management.
