LA Times Reaches Deal With Newsroom Union

The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday reached a tentative labor agreement with the guild that represents about 475 members of its newsroom, a milestone for a newspaper that for generations was known as a bastion of anti-unionism.

The two sides had been working on the newsroom’s first collective bargaining agreement for more than a year.

The proposed three-year agreement would provide immediate pay raises of at least 5% for many newsroom employees after years of stagnant wages, and some will see a more significant boost. The Times agreed to a 2.5% raise in the second and third years. The proposed contract includes job protections, parental leave, severance pay and rights for journalists who wanted to pursue book deals. In addition, managers of The Times committed to interview people from underrepresented groups to fill job openings as a way to increase newsroom diversity.

Most non-management newsroom employees will be covered, including reporters, columnists, data journalists, copy editors, librarians, web producers, audio producers, page designers, photographers and videographers.