The Washington Post Begins a 24-Hour Strike Tomorrow

Employees of the globally renowned American newspaper, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have announced a strike set to commence on December 7 and last for the next twenty-four hours.

This information is reported by Reuters.

The strike announcement comes after 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations, during which employees and employers attempted to reach an agreement on labor payment and other crucial working conditions.

"But management has refused to bargain in good faith and repeatedly — and illegally — shut down negotiations over key issues, such as pay equity, raises that keep pace with inflation and our competitors, remote work policies, mental health supports, and a buyout package that seeks to reduce our workforce by 10 percent," stated the Washington Post employees' announcement.

Furthermore, the Washington-Baltimore Journalists Guild, representing the interests of over 1000 employees in the editorial and other departments of the Washington Post, declared that ineffective management by former publisher William Lewis led to nearly forty layoffs, half of which affected the news department.

Now, the company plans to cut an additional 240 jobs through stock buyouts and threatens that if there aren't enough willing to be laid off, further layoffs will follow.

"That means fewer Post employees making the critical journalism that keeps our communities informed and holds our public officials accountable. Time and again, we’ve told the company’s leaders that we’re worth more. They have refused to listen. They have refused to bargain in good faith. They have broken the law again and again," states the workers' guild statement.

According to union representatives, the upcoming protest will mark the first general work stoppage at the Post since the 20-day strike by journalists in 1975-1976.

Recall that The Gaze previously reported that workers at the American giant Amazon staged demonstrations in several European countries, including England, France, Germany, and Italy. Workers demanded higher wages and improved working conditions as part of the "Make Amazon Pay" campaign.