• by Ray Schultz , Yesterday

Union workers at the National Trust for Local News, a statewide news network in Maine, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to add almost 50 uncovered employees.

Roughly 150 workers in the organization are already represented by a union. But many staffers are excluded, and the result is “staggering” pay disparity and greater vulnerability to layoffs, the union says. 

If the petition is successful, the additional people would join the News Guild of Maine, Local 31128 of the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America.

They are calling on the company to voluntarily recognize the expanded union. If successful, all National Trust employees would be covered. 

The National Trust for Local News purchased the network of daily and weekly newspapers, said to be the largest in Maine, two years ago.

A rally was scheduled for Tuesday. 

The News Guild of Maine represents all workers at the Portland Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville. Employees of the Kennebec Journal in Augusta are part of Local 14115 of the Communication Workers of America, and are merging with the News Guild of Maine.

“The Maine Trust for Local News puts a spotlight on the issues that matter most to the people in our state,” says Megan Gray,  an arts and culture reporter at the Portland Press Herald and the president of the News Guild of Maine. “Under nonprofit ownership, we are building a business model that could be a roadmap to sustainability for local news organizations across the country. We are here because we are invested in that future. But we need the Maine Trust to invest in ours too.”

“Those of us who are not represented have little influence over the environment in which we work,” adds Kendra Caruso  a staff writer at the Sun Journal who covers health. “That changes today. Today we demand equal pay, equal respect and the same job securities that our represented colleagues have. As one company, one union and under one contract, we will hold the company accountable to its stated mission.”