Florida Times-Union news staffers vote to unionize

Journalists at the Florida Times-Union opted July 19 to form a union, the Jacksonville-based paper reported.

The NewsGuild-CWA will represent the newsroom’s reporters, copy editors, photographers and digital producers.

Times-Union reporter and union organizing committee member Steve Patterson said the unionization is aimed at keeping the paper as a vital source of information into the future.

“Today’s vote happened after a lot of discussion and debate in the newsroom,” said Patterson. “Not everyone agreed on the choice, but we all agreed we want to keep the Times-Union healthy and indispensable to Northeast Florida.”

“I appreciate the commitment our newsroom has to serving this community, which is my hometown, with important journalism,” Times-Union Editor Mary Kelli Palka said. “I know they believe this move will help them do that even better. I respect their decision to unionize.”

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