Washington Post staffers walk off the job in 24-hour strike

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of staff at The Washington Post, one of America's most storied newspapers, walked off the job in a 24-hour strike after 18 months of contract negotiations failed to secure a deal.

Chanting "Fair pay now" and raising signs reading "Show us the $$$$," staff and supporters protested outside the paper's downtown Washington offices as the Post Guild estimated 750 people would be engaging in the work stoppage.

The strike comes amid a tumultuous US media landscape, which has not spared the national daily, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos -- one of the world's richest men, whose e-commerce giant has aggressively pushed back against unionization efforts there.

The media industry saw some 17,500 job cuts in the first half of 2023 alone, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a human resources consultancy. Over the past two decades, as the internet has eaten into traditional advertising revenue, some 2,500 newspapers have shuttered altogether.

At the same time, outlets like The New York Times -- a Post competitor -- have prospered, with the Times recently hitting 10 million subscribers as it expanded into offering cooking recipes and games, as well as acquiring sports outlet The Athletic.

The Post strike comes after failed talks to reach a new deal over pay, remote work and other conditions. Layoffs last year as well as hiring freezes are also affecting work conditions and morale, said Katie Mettler, a local reporter and union co-chair.

The Times reported earlier this year that the Post was on track to lose about $100-million this year, which the union has blamed on poor management.