The Chicago Tribune is facing a lawsuit from some of its staffers who claim that women and Black journalists are being paid less than their white male counterparts. The complaint, filed in federal court in Chicago, also names Tribune Publishing Co. and Alden Global Capital, which took control of the Tribune in 2021. The attorneys representing the seven plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, a jury trial, and a permanent injunction against unequal pay based on sex and race discrimination. They are also seeking all the back pay that affected employees should have received if they had been paid the same as white males in similar roles.
According to the lawsuit, the Tribune employs highly-regarded journalists with individualized talents, experiences, and contributions, but women and African American employees are underpaid by several thousands of dollars a year compared to their male and white counterparts across each section of the company’s news operation. The lawsuit also accuses the newspaper of using diversity recruitment programs as a way to hire mostly women and minority journalists into temporary year-long positions where they are paid significantly less than colleagues performing the same work. In contrast, white male employees are often recruited from other major news organizations and offered higher salaries to entice them to accept employment with the defendants.
Earlier this year, 76 Tribune reporters, photographers, and editors participated in a 24-hour strike along with staff from six other newsrooms across the nation to demand fair wages and protest the slow pace of contract negotiations. In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, the Chicago Tribune’s executive editor, Mitch Pugh, directed all questions to Goldin Solutions, a New York-based public relations firm. As of Friday, Goldin Solutions had not commented on the lawsuit. The lawsuit highlights a larger issue of pay disparities based on sex and race in the journalism industry and the importance of addressing and rectifying these inequalities.
The lawsuit against the Chicago Tribune, Tribune Publishing Co., and Alden Global Capital sheds light on the unequal pay practices within the news industry, particularly affecting women and minority journalists. The attorneys representing the plaintiffs are seeking to not only address the individual pay discrepancies but also to obtain class-action status, a jury trial, and a permanent injunction against unequal pay based on sex and race discrimination. The lawsuit also calls attention to the reliance on diversity recruitment programs as a means of hiring cheap labor and suppressing the salaries of women and minority journalists compared to their white male counterparts.
The response to the lawsuit from the Chicago Tribune’s executive editor, Mitch Pugh, and the lack of comment from Goldin Solutions suggest a reluctance to engage directly with the allegations of unequal pay within the company. The participation of 76 Tribune reporters, photographers, and editors in a strike earlier this year underscores the frustration and urgency of addressing fair wages and equitable treatment within the journalism industry. The lawsuit serves as a reminder of the ongoing systemic issues of pay disparities based on sex and race that persist in many workplaces, including news organizations, and the need for accountability and change to ensure equality and fairness for all employees.
