Journalists at four Washington-based newspapers run by McClatchy Media Company are on strike Tuesday.

The one-day strike by the Washington State NewsGuild is taking place as workers demand higher wages. They say McClatchy is guilty of bad-faith bargaining" during contract negotiations. The Idaho NewsGuild is also participating in the strike.

Affected newspapers are The Tacoma News Tribune, the Tri-City Herald, The Olympian and The Bellingham Herald, as well as The Idaho Statesman.

The strike kicked off at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and employees began picketing outside newsrooms later that morning. The publications' websites continue to post news.

"We ended up reaching this stage because we felt, to a certain extent, like we had no choice," said Kristine Sherred, food and dining reporter at The Tacoma News Tribune, in a phone interview.

The unions said they've been in negotiations with McClatchy for almost a year.

McClatchy didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Journalists are pushing their employer for raises above the current contract's wage floor of $48,000 for existing workers and $45,000 for new hires, Sherred said.

The unions want those numbers to bump up to $53,000 for existing workers and $50,000 for new hires. The company has offered a $52,000 wage floor for current employees, Sherred said.

"We feel that that's just simply not enough," she said. "It's hard to make a living in our communities on just $52,000."

Washington is the nation's fifth most expensive state/place, following California, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Hawaiʻi, according to a report by the Washington Roundtable and consultancy Kinetic West.

The unions are also seeking protections against the use of artificial intelligence. McClatchy has recently made national headlines for its use of a controversial new AI tool, which creates adaptations of staff-written stories to target different readers.

The company was acquired by Chatham Asset Management, a New Jersey-headquartered hedge fund, in September 2020. McClatchy operates in 14 states, with its portfolio including major names like The Sacramento Bee, The Miami Herald and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, per its website.

A vast majority, 93%, of union members across the five publications in the Pacific Northwest vowed to strike this month. Sherred explained that the newspapers are overseen by the same regional executive editor, and their unions are conducting joint bargaining.

The unions filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against McClatchy on May 14 for two allegations: refusal to furnish information and refusal to bargain.

In order to strike and pay necessary expenses like rent and bills, the guilds launched a GoFundMe.

"To have experienced eyes and ears in your community, you need journalists who can stick around and build a life instead of bouncing from job to job, the unions wrote in a statement.

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