RACINE, Wis. — The Kenosha-Racine News Guild is publicly accusing Lee Enterprises of refusing to agree to what it calls a livable wage for reporters at the Kenosha News and Racine Journal Times after six months of contract negotiations.
In a public statement circulating online this week, the union detailed what it described as severe financial struggles facing local journalists, including reporters delaying turning on their heat during winter months, relying on parents for grocery money, driving damaged vehicles, and working second jobs to survive.
The Guild said Lee Enterprises has “not demonstrated meaningful movement toward fair pay” despite months of bargaining.
According to the statement, reporters currently earn about $20.55 per hour on average across the two newspapers. The Guild cited an MIT living wage calculation estimating a single adult with no children needs to earn approximately $21.24 per hour in Racine County and $23.35 per hour in Kenosha County to meet basic living expenses.
Several reporters were quoted by name in the release.
Kenosha business reporter Rose Androwich said she and Racine sports reporter Mitch Fink waited until temperatures dropped into the 20s and 30s before turning on their apartment heat in an effort to save money.
“My mom texted me and told me I had to turn on the heat or else I would freeze,” Androwich said.
The Guild also claimed everyday car repairs have become major financial burdens for staff members. The release stated one reporter’s grocery budget was reduced for six weeks after getting a nail in a tire, while another reporter allegedly drives a totaled vehicle because they cannot afford to replace it.
Androwich said she worried about whether she could afford a windshield repair that exceeded $400.
“I would barely be able to afford it,” she said. “Would I have to ask my parents for money, just to afford groceries?”
Racine education reporter Ryan Patterson said unexpected expenses leave him struggling financially.
“My personal finances are a constant source of stress and anxiety,” Patterson said. “I worry about what would happen if I had a medical emergency or car accident.”
The release also stated Racine government reporter Holly Gilvary commutes roughly 40 minutes from another county because she cannot afford rent in Racine County on her current salary. The Guild said Gilvary works weekends waiting tables at a restaurant for additional income, while Patterson reportedly has worked for Instacart.
Patterson stated that money left to him by a deceased relative has helped him avoid taking on another job.
“If my grandmother hadn’t died, I’d be working a second job to make ends meet,” Patterson said.
The union argued that local journalism provides an important public service and warned that financial instability among reporters harms the communities they cover.
Lee Enterprises had not publicly responded to the Guild’s latest statement as of Wednesday night.
27 Responses
Many perceive the Kenosha News and Racine Journal Times and its “reporters” tend to favor Democrat Liberal political ideology which accounts for declining subscriptions and revenue. It is amusing that those reporters who say can’t afford to live in the liberal utopias of Kenosha and Racine likely never reported on the high cost of living caused by wasteful tax and spending.
these city newspapers are all cookie cutter B.S.
trash sells, report on scum people and cause anger and divide = cash cow $$$
Sounds like a far more accurate description of KCE than Kenosha Snooze. The Snooze has shifted more to calling city press releases, fluff features and events few people attend as its local “news.” KCE has become far superior when it comes to crime and court coverage, and hard news, particularly investigative reporting. I just wish the KCE coverage was far more balanced politically, but that can be said of many news sources.
You want it balanced? You mean, skewed. Kevin reports the truth when it happens and lets the chips fall where they may. (I know it’s a shock, but historically, that’s what journalistic reporters did long ago.) If the reality upsets you, why come here? Nest over at the Kenosha Excuse where it’s soft and fluffy.
the second point was in reference to here, hence why this paper isn’t going anywhere
TNG-CWA Local 34159
“The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is a large, left-leaning (liberal) labor union in the United States, often considered one of the most progressive in the country., supporting Democratic candidates……….”
Well that alienates 50% of those whose support you seek.
Go Woke–Go Broke
The news is days old so it should be called Kenosha old. Reporter Terry Flores is worthless and is eager to write obituaries when someone isn’t declared dead yet. Totally crappy journalism from a person without a decent perspective on life. She can go fuck herself.
Uhhhh, she no longer works for the Snooze, but yeah she did for several years and her reporting skills were severely lacking. Who were you referring to when you mentioned her writing an obituary for a living person? Just curious because obits aren’t written by Snooze reporters.
I haven’t subscribed to the Kenosha News in over 15yrs. It’s old news usually 3 days after the event happened and is very biased! I don’t miss reading it either. It’s a dying paper!
True Conservatives can’t afford to rely on the quality of news most of these Liberal biased reporter bring.
The union ? 😆😆😆
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the reality is this industry is just not what it was 30-40 years ago. I agree with some of the comments above on how ideological bias has also driven down subscription revenue. When you alienate 50% of your audience and decide to forgo delivering an impartial as possible news product. you’re going to lose people.
But there are other things as well. The quality of the writing, which was never great for these two papers, also has fallen over time. Lee Enterprises likely is trying to stay afloat by offering the wages noted in the above article. They don’t have a choice else they will go under. But it also may go under anyway, unable to recover from what is a dying industry.
In the past a good number of journalists loved to snark at people in other industries, whether it be coal mining or pipeline construction, with the phrase “Learn to Code” when their industries were affected by downturns. I wonder how many of them regret that.
You make a lot of good points. For me, the Snooze’s biggest mistake was publishing a print edition after Lee made the disastrous decision to print the paper in Indiana. This created a scenario in which the news is at least 16 hours old by the time it hits a subscriber’s front porch. The print edition should’ve been abandoned at that point in favor of an online-only edition and KCE is proof that business model can work. Snooze could’ve then used the savings to hire an actual staff instead of the skeleton crew the newsroom resembles now.
…and the lopsided opinion pieces, political cartoons, and ‘voice of locals’, all left leaning. Lol, it’s truly a paper bagged echo chamber.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the reality is this industry is just not what it was 30-40 years ago. I agree with some of the comments above on how ideological bias has also driven down subscription revenue. When you alienate 50% of your audience and decide to forgo delivering an impartial as possible news product. you’re going to lose people.
But there are other things as well. The quality of the writing, which was never great for these two papers, also has fallen over time. Lee Enterprises likely is trying to stay afloat by offering the wages noted in the above article. They don’t have a choice else they will go under. But it also may go under anyway, unable to recover from what is a dying industry.
In the past a good number of journalists loved to snark at people in other industries, whether it be coal mining or pipeline construction, with the phrase “Learn to Code” when their industries were affected by downturns. I wonder how many of them regret that.
As one of the union’s favorite dementia President’s infamously said to other union workers, hey “learn to code”….
Let’s all get out our violins. If they have journalism degrees they have chosen badly.
Like the panhandlers on our street corners I’d tell these folks.. get a job!
Local “Democrats” are really just a social club without any actual point of view besides just hanging around together.
The local newspaper failed to deliver a product people were willing to buy. It is not an ideological thing, it’s a reality.
By severely cutting content and staff and yet demanding exorbitant subscription rates Lee Enterprises is killing off its customer base. It also does not have a reliable web presence — never has — and instead of offering a product worthy of price it drives customers away.
The reporter compensation guarantees that competent journalists will not stay here. But it is unlikely the newspaper will exist much longer in its present form.
I recently cancelled my subscription. A painful decision. And then I kept getting lowball offers to subscribe again. It wasn’t the price. It was the price for value received.
This is a great stepping stone to opening up a conversation about raising minimum wage, then, don’t you think?
Doesn’t turn on the heat ? I’m sure the apartment building owner would not be pleased that his tenants are risking freezing pipes in a multi family building.
Works a second job ? Duhh ! Most people do !
Any “server” at a relatively fine dining establishment can make $50. an hour or more federal tax free on tips ! Easily $2,000. a month for just a couple of nights a week. More full time !
Coopers Hawk is opening next week.
Can’t afford to get a plug in a tire at a local mechanic shop ? Didn’t your dad teach you how to maintain a car ? Have a good mechanic chosen already ?
Lives with mom ? Yeah ! Un motivated kids have a tendency to do that.
Did I understand that two of these reporters live with each other ? Maybe one should have the better job to support the other who chooses to work in a dying industry.
Did any of these “reporters” ever think to find a different career ?
The “free” market determines the wages.
Maybe go on strike and then we’ll all find out if AI can really write all the stories once and for all !
Lots of reporters were downsized out the door at KN 20 years ago. That was the beginning of the end. This seems to be the end of the end.
It is what it is ! Go get another job.
End of paragraph
Maybe the issue isn’t “greedy capitalism,” maybe it’s that the dollar has lost over 85% of its purchasing power since the Nixon Shock. Funny how everything became “unaffordable” after money stopped being tied to anything real. Buy gold, the empire is failing
trying drugs from the locals I see
your brain is fried Dennis
News is important. We need intrepid journalists. Unfortunately, they all need to take marketing and business classes on top of journalism classes. Tough career for a young professional to enter. Although with all the AI slop out there, I will probably start paying for some news sources soon.
The bitterness of no quality remains long after the sweetness of liberal ideology is long forgotten.
Tulsa World reads no different than the KNews except for a smattering of local news, the weather, and obituaries.
Both papers receive their “news” from the Associated Press.
This is terrible. Remember what a scandal it was when it came out that Wal-Mart employees who worked there full time still qualified for food stamps?