UPDATE: The Desert Sun NewsGuild has reached an agreement for its first contract!!! We’re thrilled to have reached an agreement that will bring life-changing raises to many of our members and workplace protections to safeguard the future of local journalism in the Coachella Valley.

ORIGINAL TEXT: Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper chain, has shrunk its workforce by roughly 47% since 2019 and eliminated many of the resources necessary for local, in-depth journalism. Yet journalists at The Desert Sun keep fighting every day to provide you with necessary news and share important stories about our growing region of Southern California.

Over three years of contract negotiations, Gannett has refused to offer a fair contract to the unionized journalists at The Desert Sun. As the cost of living continues to rise in the Coachella Valley, Gannett doesn’t want to give raises to its new journalists until their fifth year of service with the company. It’s an unsustainable model that won’t “ensure and preserve the future of local journalism,” as Gannett says it aims to do.

That's why the journalists of The Desert Sun NewsGuild are going on strike. Gannett must re-evaluate its stance with a contract proposal that reflects the true value of local journalists in today’s society. Members of the Desert Sun NewsGuild deserve a fair contract that ensures we are able to live in the communities we cover and care about deeply.

Remind Gannett why you subscribe to The Desert Sun in the first place: for quality local journalism. Without our staff and a fair contract, the journalism you value isn’t possible.

If you aren’t subscribed yet, now is a great opportunity to do so. And tell Gannett why you did — for its journalists — and where you want your money to go — to the journalists bringing you local news.

Strength in Solidarity,

The Desert Sun NewsGuild