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Sightline Media Union

@sightlineunion.bsky.social

The @wbng.org union for Defense News and Military Times journalists | Reach us at sightlinemediaunion@gmail.com

15 Posts34 Follower11 Folgt
Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · 10mo ago

On Monday our union came to the table ready to bargain with management, six weeks after they last gave us a meeting. We sent them a counterproposal last week in which we compromised considerably on our very reasonable demands, expecting them to find some middle ground with us. 1/3

Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Defense News and Military Times journalists past and present came together yesterday to stand up for our union and fight for a fair contract! We made sure people at these events heard us and what we want. Thanks so so much to everyone who helped out and provided moral support to us. #UnionStrong

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Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · 11mo ago

SIGHTLINE MEDIA UNION UPDATE: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH We are approaching 1 year at the bargaining table & management has shown little to no real movement on the issues that matter most to us. While we continue to show up every day & keep this company running, management continues... 🧵

Casey Laughman@caseylaughman.bsky.social · last yr.

I am proud to be part of the Sightline Media Union, and I appreciate the work the negotiating committee is doing to get us a fair contract.

Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · last yr.

Two weeks ago, we sent our CEO Michael Reinstein this letter asking him to come to the table to negotiate directly with us. We received no response, so are releasing it publicly. We renew our call for direct negotiations with our CEO to produce a fair and equitable contract. 1/2

A letter from the Sightline Media Union to Michael Reinstein: Chairman, Regent LP
Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · last yr.

Two weeks ago, we sent our CEO Michael Reinstein this letter asking him to come to the table to negotiate directly with us. We received no response, so are releasing it publicly. We renew our call for direct negotiations with our CEO to produce a fair and equitable contract. 1/2

A letter from the Sightline Media Union to Michael Reinstein: Chairman, Regent LPWe are writing today to respectfully ask for your help resolving the gridlock that we fear is endangering the survival of Sightline Media Group and its publications. We know you are someone who cares deeply for journalism, and the military community these publications serve. We agree that it is an honor and a privilege to support service members and their families by providing truthful, timely and trailblazing news, in a way that both informs and entertains. But today, we are increasingly alarmed by the situation that now exists at Sightline Media Group, and are worried that unless things change soon, the already-understaffed publications will continue to bleed talent that goes unreplaced. We have lost multiple vital staff members over the last year, and if this continues, we may reach a point of no return that places the papers’ very existence in jeopardy. The heart of the issue is the unresolved contract negotiations, which have left in limbo efforts to bring on replacement reporters and severely damaged morale in the workplace. Reporters do not know what the future will hold, and as a result several vital employees have turned in their resignation notices. We have been negotiating for nine months now, and at the table, we have clearly communicated the issues we hope to improve so we can continue creating this important journalism. However, the company’s negotiating team has time and again rejected the vast majority of our substantive proposals. Often, they counter with nothing more than what the company already offers, or propose improvements that are so minuscule they do not come close to addressing the longstanding problems in our workplace. Most recently, negotiators rejected our proposal to set up a merit-based pay system that would provide employees incentives to produce excellent work. In its place, negotiators offered a 1% raise, and then upped the proposal to a mere 1.25% — something that would not even keep up with inflation. This comes on the heels of the mass layoffs the company instituted exactly a year ago right after our unanimous vote to unionize. The slow, incremental pace of negotiations also means that one year later, those seven employees have not yet received severance packages despite their years of dedicated service to Sightline Media Group. These — and other similar rejections — sends a message to experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated employees that we are not valued and not wanted. That is a hard message to receive, and if that is all the company is prepared to offer, that will prompt even more of our reporters to seek employment elsewhere.
Sightline Media Union@sightlineunion.bsky.social · last yr.

Saturday marked one year since Sightline Media Group unjustly laid off 9 reporters and editors, including 7 union members. We in the Sightline Media Union continue to support our brothers & sisters, and still fight to challenge their layoffs and get them the fair treatment they deserve. #solidarity