Washington Publish staff and Washington-Baltimore Guild members who took half in one of many largest labor strikes in Washington Publish historical past, criticized the management of the outlet’s proprietor, one of many world’s richest males, Jeff Bezos.
”I feel that our proprietor has the facility to take accountability for the truth that his writer that he selected made poor enterprise selections that received us on this mess,” Washington Publish reporter and Washington Publish Guild Information Co-Chair Katie Mettler instructed Fox Information Digital on Thursday.
Mettler’s feedback focused Bezos’ determination to entrust The Publish to its CEO and writer Fred Ryan, whom she accused of pushing the outlet into the monetary mess that prompted 750 of her colleagues to go on strike.
HUNDREDS OF DISGRUNTLED WASHINGTON POST STAFFERS WALK OFF JOB IN MASSIVE LABOR PROTEST
Washington Publish employees participate in historic walkout. (Cortney OBrien/Fox Information Digital)
The strike got here because the Washington Publish Guild – the union for the outlet’s employees – clashed with administration relating to phrases for present staff, in addition to phrases for proposed buyouts The Publish provided earlier this season because the paper carried out a 240-count job lower. The Publish is dealing with a $100 million loss by the tip of 2023, in line with studies.
Fox Digital spoke to a number of different picketers outdoors the Washington Publish constructing in Washington D.C. on Thursday who stated how they felt about an organization owned by one of many world’s richest males not with the ability to give what they described as a good deal for workers.
Although some had been much less crucial of Bezos than others, all appeared to agree that Bezos could possibly be doing extra for his staff and for the monetary well being of the corporate.
Previous to criticizing Bezos for placing Ryan – who stepped down from the function earlier this 12 months – on the helm, Mettler admitted that Bezos ”helped reinvigorate the enterprise of the Washington Publish and I feel many individuals are grateful for that… after which our former writer Fred Ryan squandered these income.”
”And Fred Ryan had one boss, and it was Jeff Bezos, and so I do suppose there needs to be a dialog about accountability there.”
Washington Publish employees take part in 24-hour strike for higher wages. (Cortney O’Brien/Fox Information Digital)
Dan Gabor, the president of the Washington-Baltimore Information Guild – a union for greater than 2500 information and non-profit employees within the mid-Atlantic area – stated, ”I feel Jeff Bezos must take accountability for his editor mismanaging The Publish to create the state of affairs that brings us right this moment.”
His colleague, the Guild’s govt director Cet Parks, instructed Fox Information he believes Bezos could possibly be doing extra to assist his personal firm.
”Clearly, we predict there could possibly be some administration selections to make the paper higher and never wrestle as a lot. You already know, I feel he might clearly make investments extra within the information and make it what it needs to be,” he stated.
Cat Zakrzewski, a Washington Publish know-how coverage reporter, asserted that Bezos is answerable for Publish employees’ discontent. She stated, ”Sure, I imply definitely this type of exercise has by no means occurred in fifty years, and the truth that staff are out right here taking this historic step of strolling out on the job and exhibiting this show, actually exhibits the considerations concerning the management of the paper, from the proprietor to the writer to the final technique that we’re seeing proper now with buyouts.”
Longtime Washington Publish reporter Dan Keating was gentler on Bezos, however nonetheless had some recommendation for the billionaire, whose web price is $169 billion.
”I feel, really, Jeff’s been nice for the paper since he’s purchased it. He’s expanded it quite a bit. He’s put some huge cash into it, and proper now, we simply have to proceed to get him to try this, proceed investing. We now have an enormous election developing, there’s a variety of information coming and we don’t suppose now’s the time we needs to be reducing again, and we predict we should always get a great contract,” Keating stated.
Publish copy editor Colleen Neely instructed Fox Information, ”18 months is just too lengthy for a contract. Our wage ground doesn’t pay a residing wage in D.C., and we deserve higher, particularly being owned by one of many richest males on the planet.”
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