Partnership seeks to raise awareness for fair wages for The Denver Post staff
The Denver Post’s newsroom guild and FlyteCo Brewing are pleased to announce a collaboration beer and to invite locals to show their support for local journalism at a release party on Dec. 8 at the brewery (4499 W. 38th Ave. #101 Denver, CO 80212). Newshounds and boozehounds can join newspaper personnel to raise a pint of The Thirst Amendment, a black IPA, a week prior to the guild’s next bargaining session on Dec. 14. Enjoy happy hour pricing on pours of the specialty release starting at 5 p.m., plus the opportunity to chat with The Denver Post’s journalists about their work.
The Thirst Amendment collaboration seeks to raise awareness about the vital role local journalists play in their communities and rally support for the reporters, photographers and other staff at The Denver Post as they advocate for fair wages. In May, representatives of both the newsroom and non-newsroom guild units started negotiating the terms of a new employment contract with corporate management, emphasizing the need for higher compensation. They have yet to reach an agreement on the issue of wages.
Since 2016, the last time the newsroom received across-the-board raises, the median price of a single-family home in Denver has risen 71 percent to $650,000, while the average rent for an apartment has increased 37 percent to $1,860. Add in inflation, rising health care costs and the lack of matching 401K contributions, and The Denver Post’s journalists are falling even farther behind.
“In the eight years I’ve been at The Denver Post, our staff has covered wildfires across Colorado, gone to active crime scenes near our homes, inhaled tear gas, entered COVID wards and so much more. My colleagues’ dedication to covering this city and state has never wavered and it’s well past time for those efforts to be rewarded with raises that allow us to keep up with the cost of living here,” Joe Rubino, Denver Post reporter and chair of the newsroom bargaining unit, said. “We hope the community will come out and support us as we ask for a fair contract. And enjoy some great beer too.”
“Journalists play an invaluable role in our communities, and we wanted to collaborate with this bargaining collective to give them an even bigger platform in getting their message out,” said Morgan O’Sullivan, co-owner of FlyteCo Brewing. “This campaign goes beyond politics – these writers and photographers deserve to be fairly compensated in order to continue to tell the stories of Denver and beyond.”
Those looking to show their support of The Denver Post guild can also send an email to the newspaper’s management staff via the Action Network. If able, please consider subscribing to The Denver Post, as it shows the community values local journalists’ work.
