Media Guild of the West is a local of The NewsGuild-CWA, representing hundreds of journalists and media workers in Southern California, Arizona and Texas. We believe in using our collective power to build a better future for journalism.
What can the Guild help you accomplish?
Work under a contract
Most executives won’t take a job without a contract specifying the terms and conditions of their employment. Forming a union is the same: You work together to maximize your leverage and negotiate a contract with your employer.
Job protections
Ending at-will employment is the cornerstone of a Guild contract. We bargain for an employment standard called just cause: guaranteeing fair treatment and due process for discipline or termination. We also fight hard to prevent subcontracting and outsourcing.
See how the Guild got 30 contractors at the L.A. Times reclassified.
Transparency in pay
The Guild can help you negotiate competitive wage scales with step advancement, work to even out pay disparities, and prevent wage theft. The Guild negotiates salary minimums, you can always bargain for more individually.
Diversity and equity
The Guild negotiated a stronger version of the NFL’s “Rooney Rule” at the L.A. Times, requiring the company to interview two people from underrepresented groups for each union job.
We also negotiated crucial reforms to the Times’ minority journalist training program, called Metpro. Read more about our recommendations.