Today, we have cause for celebration.
IndyStar’s parent company, Gannett, has agreed to lower monthly parking rates for members of our bargaining unit starting in March through the end of 2022, slashing costs for some of our members by more than half. It’s a win nearly two years in the making.
While reporting through a public health crisis, when the company barred us from working from the office, our journalists collectively spent over $13,000 for parking spots they didn’t need. At the same time, Gannett paid out bonuses to CFOs that could’ve paid our parking expenses 127 times over.
But Gannett’s greed didn’t just affect our members who paid for parking. The company also chose to get rid of company cars that allowed flexibility for our members without cars onsite to go to assignments or cover breaking news.
So, we filed expense reports. We taped our parking receipts to our news director’s office window. We threatened mass cancellation.
We spoke up and IndyStar leaders listened. Through collective action, we’ve reached a compromise that will boost morale, encourage in-office collaboration and save our members hundreds of dollars they would have paid to come to work.
This is what union power can do. This is a product of the community we’ve built in the Indianapolis News Guild.
Congratulations and good work, colleagues.
Now, let’s keep up the momentum. It’s been almost two years since our contract expired – let’s get the fair contract we deserve.
Indianapolis NewsGuild 