The Buffalo Newspaper Guild and 11 other unions at newspapers owned by Lee Enterprises are urging Lee’s board of directors to reject any purchase offer by Alden Global Capital.
The purchase offer represents a threat to the newspapers and the communities they serve, the unions told the board, because Alden makes its profits “by gutting newsrooms.”
“Alden has cut their staffs at twice the rate of competitors, resulting in the loss of countless jobs,” the unions wrote. “They’ve fostered unhealthy and untenable workplaces that make it impossible to retain talent. They’ve shuttered physical newsrooms to leave journalists working from their cars, and at properties they lease, Alden stiffs local landlords for the rent. Their investment history is littered with bankruptcies and federal probes, and they use secretive money to fund their shady dealings.”
The group of unions sent a joint letter to Lee’s board on Nov. 29.
The other unions that also signed the letter were the Blue Ridge NewsGuild, Casper News Guild, Kenosha Newspaper Guild, Longview NewsGuild, Montana News Guild, Omaha World-Herald Guild, Richmond Newspapers Professional Association, Sioux City Newspaper Guild, Southern Illinois News Guild, Timesland News Guild and United Media Guild.
Read the full Nov. 29 letter from Lee unions and stay tuned for more updates.
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 