Washington Post, union reach agreement on 3-year contract

The Washington Post and its employees union have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract, the two sides announced Friday.

The agreement, if ratified, would give all Post employees a $30 per week raise starting the first payroll period of 2024 with additional raises planned for April of 2025 and 2026, according to a memo provided to The Hill.

Both sides celebrated the agreement.

"This deal is the best contract Washington Post employees have seen in 50 years," the union said in a statement. "The historic wins in this tentative agreement came as a result of relentless advocacy from hundreds of Guild members, who fought hard for contract guarantees that reflect our values: fair pay, a safer and more equitable workplace and fundamental job protections for all."

A spokesperson for the Post said it "has always been our goal to reach an agreement that addresses the needs of our employees and our business."

"We are confident this contract provides both and appreciate the efforts of all who have worked to make this happen," the spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. "We are hopeful the contract will be ratified next week."

The solidifying of an agreement between the two sides comes as the Post has offered dozens of buyouts to employees in recent as part of an effort to slash hundreds of jobs before the end of the year as a cost cutting measure.

The Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people in the world.

Earlier this month, more than 700 staffers at the Post walked off the job for one day as part of a pressure campaign against management, which it accused of refusing to “bargain in good faith."

"Though it does not include everything we hoped to achieve, the bargaining committee supports ratifying this agreement, and we believe it will position our union to continue making The Post a better workplace in the next three years and beyond," the union said in its note to employees on Friday.