The Blue Ridge Guild⛰

For 128 years, @DailyProgress has been integral to the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. We’re trying to keep that way, but Lee makes it hard.

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

We've wrapped up our final day of negotiations without a deal. The contract expires tomorrow, so we're planning next steps. Want to help?

Fill out this form and we'll be in touch.

https://t.co/8MYUIIwJqD

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

And after a quiet month without any resignations, another one. This will leave the news desk with two reporters. But best of luck to our unit chair!

[Katherine Knott 🤷‍♀️(on bsky.social) @Knott_Katherine]

Happy Monday! I have some news …

This will be my last month at @DailyProgress after nearly four years here. I’m heading to @insidehighered!

[Rich Griset @RichGriset]

A year after a Pulitzer win, the Richmond Times-Dispatch has hemorrhaged staff as Lee Enterprises, its parent company cuts newsrooms to the bone. Since November, the RTD has lost roughly a third of its newsroom staff https://t.co/jDfC4w3Kmh

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

Apparently this is the job posting for our many reporter openings. We're a small but mighty team.

https://t.co/bKn2ufShby

[Omaha World-Herald Guild @owhguild]

✅↗️in the books: Day 1 of bargaining for Contract 2 on behalf of our great @owhnews staff. @leeentnews says they want to invest in retaining the journalists who bring you Nebraska’s news. We want them to, too.💪👊

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

And another one. This resignation cuts deep because @craftypanda was our longest tenured reporter. Institutional knowledge makes us a stronger paper and should be valued by Lee but it’s not.

[Allison Wrabel @craftypanda]

After 6 years, 9 months and 10 days working for 2 companies under 4 “publishers,” 4 editors, 2 city editors and 5 ACEs, with 11 reporters, 4 photographers and a whole bunch of features/sports/web/design/copy people, my last day at the @DailyProgress will be May 20.

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

Also, since the posting doesn’t provide this information: the minimum salary is $34,500. You should ask for $40,000 and likely prepare for $36,000. Our DMs are open for those with questions about the position or working at the Progress.

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

Well so far this month, 20% of the guild has resigned. (We're a small unit, so two resignations is a lot for us.)

Wishing Erin the best, but we wish Lee had provided a more sustainable environment for her.

[Erin Edgerton @erineedgerton]

my time has come! next week will be my last at the @DailyProgress. i have loved working here. my last 2.5 years has been has been nothing shy of exciting. but now, it is time to move on and take on a new opportunity.

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

This is a guild-covered position, but we don’t have any role in the job posting. Not sure what the point is in highlighting the region’s stable economy & high quality of life if the person isn’t paid enough to partake.

https://t.co/gnJftL8823

[Meghin Moore✨ @meghin_]

This is incredibly worrisome

[Casper News Guild @caspernewsguild]

Several Lee papers are still losing editors, reporters, photojournalists and employees in advertising and sales. We avoided a takeover by Alden, but on #InternationalWorkersDay we want to remind @LeeEntNews that we, the workers, make the papers that make them money.

[Unions of Lee Enterprises @LeeUnions]

On #InternationalWorkersDay2022, the unionized papers of @LeeEntNews note that dozens of Lee Enterprises employees, non-union and union, have left the newspaper chain so far this year. Some were forced to go. We urge Lee to adopt a better business model. (1/2)

[Mark Warner @MarkWarner]

I’m dismayed by the layoffs we’re seeing at newsrooms around Virginia and across the country. Our local press does incredible work informing folks, seeking truth, and reporting accurately, and it’s frightening to watch newsrooms shrink over the years.

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

We’re sad to see Tyler go. He can be never actually replaced, but hopefully the company will hire another reporter who can take his beat.

[Tye Hammel @TylerHammel]

Hey y'all

I've accepted a position at @SPGlobal and will be leaving the @DailyProgress at EOD May 13.

I struggle to express how much I've learned over the 4.5 years with the paper and thank y'all so much for letting me tell your stories.

[Jeff E. Schapiro @JeffESchapiro]

Another ⁦@LeeEntNews⁩ paper cuts staff - this time, laying off editor.

Lee owns ⁦@RTDNEWS⁩, where there’ve been more layoffs.

This comes “amid attempt to fight investors known for consolidating local news for profit.��

⁦@RNPA_union⁩ https://t.co/hZ75tgkEBB

[Allison Wrabel @craftypanda]

Big shoutout to @Knott_Katherine who kicked butt and won first for education writing in the Daily 2 category AND the open category!

Congrats to all my other colleagues who won awards this week too, including @TylerHammel @erineedgerton @Ginny_Bixby @John_Shifflett @ashurtleff

[The Blue Ridge Guild⛰ @BlRidgeGuild]

And to make matters worse, we are officially down to one photographer at @DailyProgress. Lee cut the photo editor last week.

We’re angry and baffled by this decision. Lee continues to show what they care about it — and it’s not making a stronger local newspaper.

[Ginny Bixby @Ginny_Bixby]

I have the most loyal readers I could ever ask for and I’m grateful for your support every day. If you appreciate my reporting and that of my incredible colleagues at The Daily Progress, please fill this out.