The WGA East slammed HuffPost and took goal on the Trump administration in an announcement Thursday, following the information that the corporate might be shedding 30 editorial staffers within the coming weeks.
“Administration has chosen to slash our newsroom by over 20% at a time when the Trump administration is waging an unrelenting collection of assaults on probably the most marginalized members of society, which is why it’s so essential that HuffPost proceed to coach the general public and maintain these in energy accountable — solely now we’re anticipated to take action with fewer reporters, editors and designers,” the assertion learn.
The union additionally says that HuffPost administration has refused to share any info to again up its personal claims that the layoffs have been financially crucial, including that the newsroom had “a 12 months of record-breaking visitors and nonstop protection of a divisive election.”
As famous within the memo despatched to HuffPost staffers by editor-in-chief Danielle C. Belton on Thursday, some workers are being provided buyout packages, which might in the end assist reduce the affect of layoffs by permitting employees to voluntarily depart.
Nonetheless, whereas the WGA East acknowledged that as a win due to protections from their newest collective bargaining settlement, the union says it’s “disillusioned” that many will now should resolve between relocating and taking a buyout — and that anybody who does take a buyout is an “immeasurable expertise” the newsroom has now misplaced.
“At present, greater than ever, we’re grateful for the robust severance protections we secured by way of collective motion — however we’re extremely disillusioned that administration has chosen to make these pointless and unwarranted cuts,” the assertion concluded.
The information of the HuffPost layoffs, which Belton attributed to “rising challenges to our enterprise,” got here simply days after the Washington Publish introduced that it might be shedding about 100 workers. Each are simply the newest in a gentle stream of media layoffs over a tumultuous few years.
The WGA East isn’t the one labor union with Hollywood ties to just lately criticize the Trump administration because the inauguration, although it is without doubt one of the first. Earlier this week, IATSE issued an announcement saying the President had “gone too far” in escalating tensions between the USA and Canada.