As current and former staff members, partners, sources and community supporters of the Louisville Courier-Journal, we believe wholeheartedly that you should voluntarily recognize the Courier-Journal Guild.

Members of the CJG have voted, with an overwhelming majority of eligible staff support, to form a union with The NewsGuild of Indianapolis (CWA Local 34070). We celebrate their strength and unity and encourage you to do the same. We believe that you, your staff, and the Louisville community deserve the best possible version of the Courier-Journal, and we believe that the best version of the Courier-Journal is a unionized one.

We applaud the Courier-Journal’s decades of quality journalism covering Louisville, the state of Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The Courier-Journal has told the stories of Kentucky that most need telling, from the state’s rampant child abuse problem to the daily protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor and the resulting litigation. When the COVID-19 pandemic threw everything out of balance and even the Kentucky Derby was affected, the Courier-Journal was there to research and explain it all. We believe that, as leaders of a legacy newspaper with 11 Pulitzer prizes, you understand the vital role unions play in building strong, inclusive and equitable news organizations. You have an opportunity to show great leadership in our community by standing with your workers and recognizing the CJG.

As it says in the CJG’s Mission Statement, “the power of the press must be protected at all costs” -- for the sake of the Courier-Journal, its staff and the communities it serves. We look forward to hearing that you have voluntarily recognized the CJG, and that you have continued to lead the way in affirming your commitment to your staff and the communities you serve.