Your local journalists have formed a union.
Here’s why:
“For generations The Record newspaper has billed itself as the ‘Friend of the People It Serves’ and the only way to live up to that motto is to ensure that we have a staff to cover local news and hold officials in these communities accountable. We are unionizing to make sure that we can do just that for years to come.”
— Katie Sobko | The Record, Reporter
“I'm proud to be a part of The Record Guild because The Record, the Daily Record and the NJ Herald would be nothing without their reporters, photographers and producers and we deserve a say in the decisions that impact our future and the future of the papers.”
— Terrence McDonald | The Record, Reporter
"A lack of job security, frequent layoffs and unlivable wages are so common in the journalism industry, we've come to expect it. I support the union because I want more for my colleagues and myself. We need a seat at the table so we can advocate for ourselves and the communities we serve."
— Rebecca King | The Record, Food Reporter
“The question of whether to unionize reaches far beyond my own newsroom. Somewhere along the line, American employment culture was able to place labor concerns last in a long line of after thoughts, and arrange its behavior behind only three variables: what was our stock price yesterday, what is it today and what can we expect it to be tomorrow? I joined this effort because I refuse to continue to foot the bill for someone else’s business. An employer should be indebted to its employees. As a society, we’ve allowed that to flip. I’d like to flip it back.”
— Nicholas Katzban | The Record, Reporter
“Each day, my colleagues at The Record, the Daily Record and the NJ Herald work tirelessly to serve their communities with outstanding journalism. They deserve to feel safe, secure and supported while doing this important and necessary work. I stand with my colleagues in unionizing because it gives us the best opportunity to help ensure a more sustainable and successful future — for ourselves, for those we serve and for local journalism as a whole.”
— Justin Toscano | The Record, Mets Reporter
“Journalists at The Record, Daily Record and NJ Herald are some of the best in New Jersey. We aren't treated that way. With pay cuts, increased workloads and rounds of layoffs, we are left feeling disposable rather than supported. I joined The Record Guild to fight for positive change in our newsroom for the current staff and so future generations of journalists can at least pay their bills and won't have to walk into work every day worrying if they'll still have a job when they clock out.”
— Maddi Ference | Web Producer
“Unionizing empowers journalists with the same things we champion in the communities we serve: equity, transparency and accountability.”
—Jessica Presinzano | Digital Producer
“For years, Gannett has enjoyed monopoly power to decide how The Record is run. Some of these decisions have improved the paper, such as removing outdated parochial rules that limited our areas of coverage and the types of stories we do. Other decisions have been deeply harmful. By laying off and chasing away some of our most talented and experienced reporters and editors, seemingly at random, Gannett has irreparably damaged our ability to inform readers and perform our function as the fourth pillar of democracy. It’s no accident that the best newspapers in the United States have unions. An effective union can function as a check on management’s power to make capricious decisions. That does more than simply protect reporters’ jobs. It also protects the interests of readers by making the paper better.”
—Chris Maag | The Record, Columnist
“Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press.’ However, in the past dozen years approximately half the newspaper jobs in America have disappeared. Unfortunately, in the 4.5 years since Gannett has owned The Record we have lost more than 75% of our workforce.
I am grateful to have my job. I am honored to help tell the stories of people in northern New Jersey. I want journalism jobs protected because I know my colleagues and I work tirelessly to help inform our readers and protect the First Amendment. I believe a strong journalism workforce helps every aspect of a community. This is why I am in favor of The Record Guild.”
—Kevin R. Wexler | The Record, Photojournalist
“We hold governments and leaders accountable to ensure fairness in our communities. But as big media companies continue to profit off the stories of the people, who’s ensuring the protections of its workers? We unionized to fight for our rights and ensure a fair, just and equitable future for local news.”
— Jessie Gomez | The Daily Record, Reporter
“For far too long journalists in our newsroom have been working without raises and salaries that do not match the hard work, dedication, and commitment demands of our employment. I knew becoming a journalist wasn’t going to be glamorous, but I did expect to be treated fairly and have a voice. Forming a labor union with our colleagues will allow us to collectively and firmly advocate for clear, fair, and distinct policies to better our workplace while we continue to produce thorough local and investigative coverage that our communities demand.”
— Kristie Cattafi | The Record, Reporter
“Our newsrooms have significantly decreased in size while many of us producers, reporters, planners and photographers have taken on more responsibilities without the proper pay to reflect all that we do. I support the union because my colleagues and myself deserve better. We deserve for our voices to be heard. We deserve to be treated fairly. We deserve decent pay for our hard work. And we deserve to do our work and serve the public without the constant fear of our jobs being in jeopardy."
— Lanette Espy | NorthJersey.com, Digital Producer
“I’ve had the privilege to work with some of New Jersey’s most talented and hardest-working journalists. From breaking the Bridgegate story to exposing deadly Covid outbreaks at state veteran’s homes, their consequential work has always been rooted in strong beat reporting. We’ve been hearing for years — and marketing to the public — the virtues of local journalism. But what we’ve seen is a newsroom constantly bleeding staff, spreading its resources thin and a gradual depreciation of the daily report that has rendered The Record unrecognizable from its storied reputation in just a few years. It is time for management to match its words with actions, and our union aims to hold them accountable just like we do to those in power every day.”
— Dustin Racioppi | The Record, Statehouse Reporter
“The work that comes out of the newsrooms of The Record, Daily Record, and NJ Herald is second to none for our communities. These tireless efforts get a pat on the back or maybe an award here and there, but not what matters most: job security, fair pay, transparency and fairness. I am proud to be a part of this family, The Record Guild.”
—Paul Wood Jr. | Multimedia Coordinator
“With this union, we’re joining our hearts, minds, souls and reputations to preserve the legacy of solid journalism at The Record. We all know that journalists are under assault now. Some tinhorn politicians call us “enemies of the people.” Some belittle our work as “fake news.” But now, we also face pressure from Wall Street investors to strip our staffs to the bare bones – to do more with less. In recent years our dwindling staff has labored passionately on major stories while enduring flattened salaries, reduced benefits, furloughs and the ever-present threat of humiliating layoffs in which dedicated colleagues -- reporters and editors alike -- were given just an hour or two to clean their desks and leave. An especially callous Gannett editor who came to our newsroom described these staff cutbacks as “culling the herd” – as if we were animals selected for slaughter. Good journalism deserves better. That’s why I’m standing with my colleagues in our union.”
—Mike Kelly | The Record, Columnist
“I stand with The Record Guild because I care about my talented colleagues and the work they do in the communities they serve. The Record, the Daily Record and the NJ Herald know their communities and work hard to expose the corrupt, highlight social justice issues, find the best restaurants and cover local sports. My colleagues shouldn’t have to worry about constant layoffs, wage freezes and rising health care costs.”
—Anne-Marie Caruso | The Record, Photojournalist
“I've been so lucky to work for my hometown paper. My colleagues and I want to continue The Record's history of excellent local journalism, but the excessive layoffs and minimal protections make it harder and harder for us to do our jobs. I hope that by forming a union, I can continue to serve the state I call home.”
— Danielle Parhizkaran | The Record, Photojournalist
As a long-time Record employee, I've seen colleagues laid off, salaries remain stagnant and the cost of health insurance climb while we continued to produce strong journalism. I joined The Record Guild to have a voice in the future of the newsroom and negotiate for fair wages and affordable healthcare, while also working toward making the newsroom more equitable for everyone.
— Monsy Alvarado | The Record, Reporter
“The Record is the newspaper I grew up with — the one my father read every morning at the kitchen table, and the paper I turned to every season for a preview of my high school sports teams. It has been a privilege to work for my hometown paper for the past seven years, but it has not been easy. Through acquisitions, layoffs, and downsizing, the journalists of The Record Guild have learned to do more with less. With this union, we will finally have the necessary voice to advocate for the resources we need to ensure we can continue telling great stories and holding the powerful accountable for years to come.”
— Melanie Anzidei | The Record, Reporter
“Our newsrooms are filled with fantastic reporters, photographers and digital producers and we as a whole deserve to work without concerns over job security or unrealistic wages. I’m proud to be a part of a union that will help protect our newsrooms while we continue to produce excellent local journalism.“
— Anthony Zurita | The Record, Reporter
“I grew up reading The Record, and as an adult was privileged to work alongside the writers and reporters who left an indelible mark on me at an early age. But the newsroom has changed in the last five years. Talent has fled or been laid off, and we who remain are faced with mounting workloads and meager paychecks. I joined The Record Guild to change that. Local news is a pillar of our democracy; it must be preserved. This is the first step.”
— Steve Janoski | The Record, Reporter
“I joined the paper right as Gannett took over and thought if I kept my head down, I would be able to keep my job even though I was the newest hire. And I continued to try not to make waves as more and more of my colleagues, people I didn't even get a chance to know or learn from, were laid off. And then I did get to know everyone and had to watch as they were told to leave. I joined The Record Guild because too long we have watched competent and amazing journalists, photographers and producers walk out or be forced out of our doors. If we are so committed to local journalism, Gannett should act like it and focus on building up newsrooms, not whittling them down into a shadow of their former selves.”—Kaitlyn Kanzler | The Record, Reporter
“What the many fine journalists at The Record Guild seek are guarantees in job security, fair compensation and resources that match their unflinching commitment to the communities they serve. They deserve it, as much as the loyal readers in North Jersey deserve a quality paper. I’m proud to work at The Record. I’m proud of my colleagues. I’m proud to join a labor union that protects local journalism.”
—Tom Nobile | The Record, Reporter
“I was deeply proud to join the State House Bureau of The Record in March 2000. The Record was the crown jewel of New Jersey newspapers, known for its aggressive coverage of the state government and town halls throughout north Jersey. But that reputation has frayed under the corporate Gannett ownership, where the shareholder is venerated over the reader, and where the fat bonuses for executive management take precedence over respectable pay for journalists, who have been forced to shoulder increased workloads as layoffs and buyouts left critical beats unfilled. It’s an unsustainable model and no one has noticed it more than loyal Record readers who constantly lament the loss of their robust paper of record. I now stand with The Record Guild to negotiate equitable wages, job protections and affordable health care especially for my younger, talented colleagues who are The Record’s future.”
—Charles Stile | The Record, Columnist