• by Ray Schultz , July 21, 2025

The Bend Bulletin, a 122 year-old newspaper is central Oregon, is facing labor issues. Union members are calling on the owner, the Mississippi-based Carpenter Media Group, to agree, to a fair contract and to refrain from layoffs until that agreement is in place. 

The union has asked readers to cancel their subscriptions if the Carpenter Media Group does not meet its demands.  

The company had laid off several non-union employees, including a copy editor. 

In response to a union demand for a basic wage of $26 an hour, Carpenter has offered $20 an hour, with merit raises for those who produce 10 to 12 stories per week, according to Morgan Owen, Morgan Owen is a crime and public safety reporter for the Bend Bulletin who serves as an Oregon NewsGuild leader. She made these comments in an interview on the nonprofit OPB.

At present, the workload is three to five stories per week. 

“That’s about the capacity our reporters have to give our readers quality journalism,” Owen says. 

The company has issued this statement: 

Carpenter Media group is dedicated to preserving and strengthening community journalism in the communities we serve. We believe in the vital role local news plays in  informing, connecting and uplifting communities. Our focus remains on equipping our local teams with the tools, resources and editorial independence needed to deliver meaningful fact-based reporting that reflects the voices and values of their readers and the communities they live.”

Owen disputes that, saying, “What we’re seeing on the inside are a commitment to clicks and pushing content regardless of quality.” 

Presumably, the negotiations will now go behind closed doors without any announcements until a deal is reached.