U.S. Senator Warren and U.S. Senator Markey step back from Boston Globe Summit in support of Globe employees

BOSTON, MA – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Senator Edward Markey both announced that they’ve pulled out of this week’s ongoing Boston Globe event, Globe Summit 2021: The Great Recovery, amidst growing labor unrest at the Boston news organization. Boston Globe employees have been forced to work without a contract for nearly 1,000 days as they fight to fend off owners’ proposals that could lead to widespread outsourcing of much of The Globe’s news operations to locations outside of New England. 

Senator Markey issued the following statement in support of the employees.

“I stand with members of the Boston Newspaper Guild and their fight to secure a fair labor contract,” said Senator Markey. “All of the workers at The Boston Globe and STAT News – from journalists to security guards, to administrative and delivery staff – support the effort to produce the highest-quality journalism. These workers are ensuring a strong democracy, informed communities, and a healthy economy throughout New England. The Guild members and their families deserve a fair contract now. I urge The Boston Globe management to negotiate and settle a fair contract with workplace protections for these workers without further delay.” 

In a recent video message, Senator Warren stated:

“I stand with the members of the Boston Newspaper Guild in their fight to secure a fair labor contract — the workers at The Boston Globe and STAT News, from reporters to security guards, shippers and receivers and more. They all contribute toward producing high-quality journalism that is crucial to a vibrant democracy and to strong communities all across Massachusetts and New England. I urge the Boston Globe management to settle a fair contract with workplace protections these journalists and staff deserve.” 

Boston Globe staff thanked the Senators for their efforts to keep Boston Globe’s reporting local.  

“We’re so grateful that our elected leaders see the importance of keeping The Boston Globe’s reporting local — and not outsourcing these jobs to far-away locations,” stated Scott Steeves, President of the Boston Newspaper Guild.

BACKGROUND

For nearly three years, Boston Globe executives have advanced wrong-headed outsourcing proposals that would undermine the newspaper’s award-winning journalism. The newspaper’s owners are represented by the Trump campaign’s notorious law firm Jones Day. 

Globe employees say they’ll continue to fight to maintain the same high-quality, independent journalism readers count on, and to keep the Globe’s reporting local. In a recent internal poll, an overwhelming majority of the Boston Newspaper Guild members said they would support a strike authorization vote.

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The Boston Newspaper Guild (BNG) represents more than 300 Boston Globe employees, including reporters, editors, page designers, photographers, web producers, advertising salespeople, and advertising sales support persons, ad-designers, circulation managers, accountants, marketers, and information technology specialists, shippers/receivers, and secretaries. For decades, its members have produced Pulitzer Prize-winning, nationally-acclaimed work, as well as safeguarding the rights and benefits of Globe employees.