Information is power.
That’s why, on this Labor Day, we are publishing data on what journalists at the Idaho Statesman are paid. This information will live on our website, IdahoNewsGuild.org, for everyone to see.
Countless studies have shown pay transparency reduces wages gaps in all industries. This was one of the main reasons we formed a union, and it remains one of our core beliefs.
Publishing this information is a concrete step we can take to help reduce pay inequality in our newsroom, in our company and throughout the journalism industry.
Employers try to keep this information secret so they can pay you less. We will not be a part of that.
McClatchy, the owner of the Idaho Statesman, refuses to even include salary ranges in job postings unless required by local law. It admitted during contract bargaining that competitors would try to poach its employees by — gasp — paying them what they are worth.
Well, we don’t need their permission. Federal labor law protects every employee’s right — whether you’re in a union or not — to discuss their working conditions. That includes your salary, no matter what your boss says.
This information used to be considered taboo or impolite to share. We reject that notion, one companies use to get away with paying their employees as little as possible.
That’s much harder to do when that information is widely and freely shared.
We publish this information to push not just McClatchy, but all media outlets and companies inside and outside of Idaho, to value and invest in the ones creating all of your profits — your employees.
You are nothing without them.
Idaho NewsGuild 