Media News

Dallas Morning News employees form union in 'right-to-work' Texas

A "print" newspaper, circa the '80s.

Photo by Jon S

Employees at Dallas' major newspaper have formed a union: A combination of 100 employees of the Dallas Morning News and sister publication Al Día Dallas have formed a union called the Dallas News Guild, part of The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America (CWA).

If such an action were to come to pass, it would make the Dallas Morning News the first union newsroom in Texas, a right-to-work state.

The guild will cover more than 100 journalists across all departments of the newsroom, which they say is a majority, meaning they currently have less than 200 journalists total.

The full list of names is here, and includes many younger employees, a couple of grizzled older employees, and some conspicuous absences.

Their statement says that they understand the industry is in turmoil, but that it has resulted in "no-raise promotions, increased work without increased pay, and staffing that has been cut to the bone. We seek to work with management to build a more stable and secure environment so that local journalism can thrive."

Grievances include the fact that the newspaper didn't distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees quickly enough, which exposed them to people as well as tear gas while they were covering news stories — resources that they say were provided to other local news outlets.

Staffers were also not offered the chance to get virus testing despite being assigned stories that could expose them to COVID-19.

Other newspaper staffs that have unionized in recent years include the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. In May, the Los Angeles Times Guild reached a deal to avoid more than 80 layoffs by taking a 20 percent reduction in work schedule and salary from May 10 to August 1.

The DMN has batted down previous union efforts. According toTexas Monthly, Robert Decherd, who is currently chairman/president/CEO at A.H. Belo, fought off a pressman's strike in 1974. When the pressmen asked for their jobs back, the News had already replaced them.

Decherd did not respond to a request for comment.

According to their release, organizers have requested recognition from A.H. Belo, the newspaper's parent company. Recognizing the union would set the stage for contract negotiations between A.H. Belo and the newsroom staff.

Some but not all newspapers have succeeded in forming unions. Journalists in newsrooms owned by Gannett, the largest newspaper owner in the U.S., initially faced delays to hold a vote, according to CNN.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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