Anchorage Daily News management declines to recognize nascent employee union

The Anchorage Daily News people version for Monday, July 8, 2024. (Casey Grove/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage Daily News proprietor Ryan Binkley declined to admit a nascent newsroom national connected Thursday.

Newsroom staff announced their volition to unionize earlier successful nan week. They are asking for adjacent wages, financial transparency and a sustainable workplace situation astatine nan state’s astir wide publication newspaper.

In a letter, Binkley wrote that guidance believes “employees should person an opportunity to determine whether they wish to beryllium represented by nan Anchorage News Guild successful a free and adjacent concealed ballot predetermination conducted by nan (National Labor Relations Board).” He did not respond to a petition for remark connected Friday.

Unionizing unit said nan refusal delays nan opening of statement negotiations by a fewer weeks because labor must formally ballot to unionize. Fifty percent of nan eligible unit positive 1 ballot must beryllium successful favor.

Guild members foresee nary problem achieving that: Sixteen of 20 newsroom unit person publically supported nan move to unionize and signed national authorization cards, a basal first measurement to organizing a union.

In a news release, Anchorage News Guild members said nan determination “fails to grant nan voices of nan hard-working unit of nan ADN newsroom.”

Employees are moving pinch a national lawyer who is successful connection pinch ADN’s lawyers, nan California-based rule patient Littler Mendelson. Anchorage News Guild criticized guidance for spending clip and money connected a nationalist patient pinch a estimation arsenic a national buster.

ADN worker and Anchorage News Guild personnel Megan Pacer said she was disappointed successful nan determination from newspaper leadership, but it isn’t stopping nan unionization effort.

“We were prepared for this. We were prepared for either reaction. I deliberation immoderate of america whitethorn person been surprised. Some of america were surely disappointed,” she said.