Chicago Sun-Times Guild

Our thoughts are with our @ctguild.bsky.social siblings who are once again falling prey to the vultures at Alden Global Capital.

Our members go to great lengths to build trust with our sources and communities and are horrified by this slop syndication. We call on Chicago Public Media management to do everything it can to prevent repeating this disaster in the future.

We take great pride in the union-produced journalism that goes into the respected pages of our newspaper and on our website.

The fact that it was 60+ pages of this “content” is very concerning — primarily for our relationship with our audience but also for our union’s jurisdiction.

The CST Guild is aware of the third-party “summer guide” content in the May 18 edition of the Sun-Times newspaper.

This was a syndicated section made externally without the knowledge of the members of our newsroom.

We’re deeply disturbed that AI-generated content was printed alongside our work.

Chicago Sun-Times to lose 20% of staff after buyout offer Columnists, editorial writers and many more head for the exits as the paper's nonprofit owner, Chicago Public Media, deals with fiscal hardship.

Guild co-chair Nader Issa said employees have concerns about revenue strategies and were “disturbed” by the cuts, calling the buyouts “a dramatic downsizing.”

“A lot of folks feel like the powers that be don’t have full familiarity with the Sun-Times,” added co-chair Mitch Armentrout.

A sad day at work today.
Relieved about no layoffs, but these 30 buyouts include 23 people from the newsroom. 💔

Support your local news outlets 🙏

And a brief correction: the Guild is losing 16 members total, with 15 of them taking buyouts.

Support the Chicago Sun-Times The Chicago Sun-Times is now a non-profit news organization that is free and accessible for anyone to read.

We encourage you all to keep letting CPM know what our newsroom means to you, as well as donating to help us continue providing free, local journalism for Chicago.

We're losing friends, mentors and cherished colleagues with decades of institutional knowledge that can't be replaced.

We have serious questions about what the future might bring, and we continue to call on Chicago Public Media management to do its part in sustaining our work.

Our union received the bittersweet news today that there will not be any layoffs at the Chicago Sun-Times.

But 16 beloved Guild members have taken buyouts, as have several non-union newsroom colleagues. This is the biggest hit to our newsroom in at least 12 years.

While I was unable to attend today's guild action at our offices in Navy Pier due to a drone assignment, I still stood in solidarity with my colleagues.

We're at Navy Pier today telling the CPM board to keep their promise of finding non-labor cuts to save public media and the people who make it.

We’ve already seen so many talented colleagues let go. We say no more.

Me standing in front of a bunch of signs that say "We did our part. It's time for you to do yours."

NO LAYOFFS AT THE @chicago.suntimes.com!!!!!!!!!

Dozens off our @cstguild.bsky.social colleagues are taking buyouts. Now, Chicago Public Media is threatening to lay even more people off.

We're at the CPM board meeting to say NO MORE JOB CUTS. We did our part — it's time for them to do theirs.

since we’re putting our #MugsUpForPublicMedia: a reminder that the folks at the Sun-Times (me included!) could be notified of layoffs tomorrow.

to #ProtectPublicMedia, we need more journalists — not less! that’s why @cstguild.bsky.social is calling on the CPM board to find non-labor cuts.

Layoffs still on the table as Sun-Times, WBEZ buyout deadline passes It appears the outlets' parent company hit its savings target — but that may not be enough.

Guild co-chair Nader Issa in @crainschicago.bsky.social today:

"We lost enough people, we don't need to keep cutting our staff. … We've done our part. Now we need Chicago Public Media to do its part by securing more revenue and, if there needs to be cuts, cut non-labor areas in the budget."

THE TIMES IS UNION MADE: Today is the annual State of The Times. As @nytimes.com bosses extol the company’s success, our members from across the Times unions are handing out flyers to spread the word: There is no @nytimes.com without our members.

Struck Newspaper Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Closes Allegheny County Print Facility, Pays Out Striking Production Workers Journalists and newsroom staff represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (TNG-CWA Local 38061) remain on strike.

NEW: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shut down its Allegheny County print facility, eliminating 31 union jobs. Striking production & ad workers accepted a buyout—but newsroom journalists remain on strike.

The fight for workers at PG is not over. (@cwaunion.bsky.social)

cwa-union.org/news/release...

To protect public media we need more journalists in our newsroom — not fewer. #ProtectMyPublicMedia

We are appalled, but not surprised, by Condé Nast’s layoff of four union members last week, which marks the third time in less than a year that layoffs have impacted our union as well as many of our colleagues outside of the bargaining unit. (1/8)

We are losing a lot of talented journalists at the Chicago Sun-Times this month as we undergo a period of buyouts and possible layoffs. And I'm sad to see Ismael Perez leaving at a time when we need #morelatinosinnews -- Someone in Chicago says goodbye
chicago.suntimes.com/someone-in-c...

We’re tired of seeing talent and decades of institutional knowledge shown the door.

You can let CPM know what free, local journalism from seasoned reporters means to you via this form. We’re told the board will be reviewing the responses.

CPM cites a Northwestern study saying IL has lost 86% of its journalists since 2005 and 53% of the its newspaper jobs since 2013.

This month, seven of our union members and more staffers across the organization have taken buyouts. That’s after 14 staff members were laid off from WBEZ last April.

Today Chicago Public Media is launching a pledge drive asking for donations to protect public media from threats to independent journalism.

With more buyouts this week and potential layoffs as soon as next week, we want CPM to do its part by finding non-labor cuts and creative revenue solutions.

As we enter a critical week for our members, we hope CPM executives find better solutions to sustain the vital newsroom that Chicago deserves.

CPM promised non-labor budget cuts could help stem the loss of talent and decades of institutional knowledge.

With a few days left before the buyout deadline, we’re concerned that management could resort to layoffs as soon as next week.

Sun-Times owner seeks voluntary buyouts from the newsroom The reductions shape up as the most severe since the publication joined with WBEZ in 2022, a pioneering move aimed at sustaining local journalism.

In January, management at Chicago Public Media, our nonprofit owner, announced employee buyouts in an effort to cut $3-5 million in costs.

We’ve already seen numerous people across our organization take buyouts, including seven from our union — and we expect more to exit by the end of this week.

We’re the Chicago Sun-Times Guild, a union that’s been around for decades to protect the future of the Sun-Times newsroom and our dozens of members who have kept it running.

We’ve already seen many colleagues head out the door in the past few weeks. And we’re worried that more could soon follow.