Workers across Hearst's newspaper division are mounting a coordinated push back against what they describe as a systematic effort to weaken unions, filing multiple unfair labor practice complaints and raising strike funds as contract negotiations stall in newsrooms from Albany to Dallas.
The Albany Newspaper Guild, representing the Times Union, has operated without a contract for more than 17 years. Wendy Liberatore, the guild's president and a Saratoga County reporter, said stalled negotiations have left employees trapped by wage freezes while facing rising living costs and healthcare deductibles. She fears Hearst plans to replace workers with artificial intelligence.
"What bothers me is the effect on our members. It really hurts our members," Liberatore said, describing the problem as endemic across Hearst properties. "Hearst newspaper management in Albany, Connecticut, Austin and Dallas is doing its best to destroy unions at its papers."
Five union guilds at Hearst newspapers spanning New York, Connecticut, Texas, and California have filed formal complaints alleging unfair labor practices. Hearst, which operates 30 daily newspapers and 50 weekly publications across the country, reported record revenues of $13.5 billion in 2025, a 3% increase. The company employs roughly 2,500 newspaper workers.
In a statement, Hearst rejected the accusations, saying it is "committed to good faith bargaining" and maintains "competitive and sustainable wages and benefits." The company noted that "all union-represented employees who meet performance expectations have received increases even during contract negotiations" and dismissed claims of wage stagnation as inaccurate. Regarding AI, Hearst said it has "a strict policy" requiring human oversight in newsroom use.
The tensions escalated after Hearst acquired the Austin American-Statesman in February 2025. The company scrapped the union contract that the Austin NewsGuild had negotiated with the paper's former owner, Gannett, just months earlier. Nicole Villalpando, chair of the Austin NewsGuild and a health reporter at the paper, said workers lost promised raises and enhanced benefits.
"Hearst basically took the worst parts of our Gannett contract and the worst parts of Hearst policy," Villalpando said. The Austin guild is raising money for a potential strike as negotiations remain deadlocked. Hearst countered by saying it offered sign-on bonuses and raised the newsroom minimum salary after the acquisition.
In Dallas, the situation grew more contentious. The Dallas News Guild filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming Hearst violated the union contract by laying off 26 employees in November, just two months after acquiring the Dallas Morning News. The existing contract expires June 30. Hearst said the layoffs were tied to integrating page design operations and that it opened 18 new positions for affected staff.
Zaira Perez Viera, a Dallas Morning News journalist and guild member, expressed frustration over the ability of newsroom workers to sustain themselves financially. "How many of us can keep doing this if we don't make enough money to be able to thrive in a place like Dallas-Fort Worth?" she asked.
Connecticut presents another flashpoint. More than 100 workers at Hearst Connecticut Media Group voted to unionize in May 2025 with nearly 80% support, though Hearst initially challenged the scope of the bargaining unit. The NLRB dismissed Hearst's objection in March, but the board has not yet ruled on numerous unfair labor practice complaints the Connecticut News Guild filed alleging refusal to bargain, retaliation, and unilateral changes to working conditions.
Brian Zahn, unit chair of the Connecticut News Guild and a municipal reporter, said the company has engaged in "a lot of stalling." The union's first official bargaining session is scheduled for June 1, nearly two years after the union drive became public. Despite the delays, Zahn said the unit remains unified and ready to fight for a first contract.
Hearst said it will "come to the table in good faith" with Connecticut workers in June.
Author James Rodriguez: "Hearst's playbook of contract terminations, wage freezes, and delay tactics suggests the company is betting that time and attrition will break union resolve, but workers from coast to coast are clearly prepared for a long fight."
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