Reporters in union negotiations for wage increases

• Negotiations involving the Newspaper Guild of Detroit – which includes workers at the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and the Observer & Eccentric papers – comes amid a wave of unionization among reporters nationally.

State of play: Guild members have been working under a month-to-month renewal since their contract expired in 2019. The pandemic is partly to blame for the delayed contract talks.

• On the other side of the bargaining table are owners Gannett and MediaNews Group.

Details: During protracted contract negotiations, the Guild proposed across-the-board wage increases of 3% in the first year of a three-year contract, 2.75% the second year and 2.5% the third year. Health care and pensions are also on the table.

• Company representatives instead proposed a $750 signing bonus upon contract ratification, with possibly a second $750 bonus one year later, according to the Guild.

Editor's note: Joe Guillen is a former Free Press reporter.