Lee Enterprises has recognized the Racine NewsGuild as part of the Kenosha Newspaper Guild bargaining unit.
This comes less than three weeks after the the Racine (Wisconsin) Journal Times newsroom announced plans to unionize.
“We applaud Lee for the voluntary recognition agreement and hope it serves as a model to other newspaper employers dealing with new unions,” the union states.
According to the union, four newsroom employees were laid off two days after the Racine NewsGuild went public. Those staffers will receive preferential treatment for open jobs at Racine Journal Times and Kenosha News during the next 12 months.
"In light of the recent layoffs in Racine, this is by far the best outcome possible,” says Sean Krajaci, president of the Kenosha Newspaper Guild.
Krajaci adds,“The journalists at the Racine Journal Times assiduously organized in order to have a collective voice. They now have it. On behalf of the Kenosha Newspaper Guild, we are excited to not only work side-by-side in our communities, but also to share in the provisions of a single contract bargaining agreement."
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