• by Ray Schultz , November 26, 2024

The Austin American-Statesman, owned by Gannett, has achieved an agreement with the Austin NewsGuild, the union representing Statesman journalists, after over three years of negotiations.  

Among other things, the contract sets a minimum salary of $50,000 for new hires, going up to $55,000 after five years of employment and $60,000 after 10, NPR reports. 

In addition, everyone in the union will receive a raise.

“No contract is going to be perfect, but in terms of a first contract, I think it's pretty much what we want,” said Cat Vasquez, a Statesman reporter, according to NPR. “You're talking about a newspaper that has such a rich and long tradition… to have been able to unionize the newsroom, I think that's a really special thing for this community.”

Gannett also is lauding the deal.

“The Austin American-Statesman has a rich history of providing trusted news and information that our readers have told us they want,” says Kristin Roberts, Gannett's media chief content officer. “We are committed to delivering on this promise and remain your go-to source.”