The writers of Jeff Bezos's Washington Post Guild have declared a 24-hour strike action on Thursday, marking the union's first work stoppage in over 50 years over unfair labour practices by the corporation
The publication has been accused of unfair labour practices by the union. According to them, the corporation is "refusing to bargain in good faith and breaking the law."
The union claims it has been negotiating a contract with the newspaper for 18 months, claiming that wages have not kept up with inflation. The union has asked readers not to interact with the publication on Thursday as part of the strike.
The one-day strike affects over 750 editorial personnel, including reporters.
"Because of our previous publisher’s mismanagement, the company has tried to balance its books by laying off nearly 40 people in the last year," the union said. "Then they offered 'voluntary' buyouts to another 240 staffers this fall. Now, the Post has threatened that if they don’t get enough people to leave, more layoffs will be next."
In response to the walkout, a spokesperson for the union said in a statement to Scripps News: "We respect the rights of our Guild-covered colleagues to engage in this planned one-day strike. We will make sure our readers and customers are as unaffected as possible. The Post’s goal remains the same as it has from the start of our negotiations: to reach an agreement with the Guild that meets the needs of our employees and the needs of our business.”