130 FORMER DAILY NEWS JOURNALISTS VOICE FULL SUPPORT FOR NEWSROOM UNION

06/11/2025 NEW YORK – They built their careers at New York’s Hometown Paper, the Daily News. 

Now, 130 former Daily News journalists have signed onto a petition, calling for management at the Daily News and execs at predatory hedge fund owner Alden Global Capital to recognize the current staff’s value and agree to a fair contract. 

The list of signers includes some of New York City’s most prominent journalists including former columnists Denis Hamill, Michael Daly and Juan Gonzalez, as well as former editor-in-chief Jim Rich. 

“This new generation of Daily News staffers are now part of a skeletal crew fighting to cover the nation’s largest city—all while battling Alden’s wealthy owners for three years to achieve a fair contract,” the petition reads. “What the Union wants is pretty simple: Livable wages, job protection, and benefits that recognize the value these journalists bring to The News. Yet Alden’s reps at the bargaining table fight them at every turn.”

On Tuesday, the group of ex-Newsers sent their petition to Daily News Executive Editor Andrew Julien, who has been absent as a newsroom leader, allowing Alden to drain newsroom resources and undermine Daily News journalists’ ability to cover the city. Daily News Union members and their supporters have been distributing informational fliers around NYC to let the public know about Julien’s leadership deficiencies  as well as their fight for a fair contract. 

The Daily News Union, a bargaining unit of The NewsGuild of New York, has endured years of Alden’s attempts at union-busting and tactics at the bargaining table that violate law as they work tirelessly for their first contract. 

“If Alden Global Capital wants to own newspapers, then it should act as if it cares about The News. Treat its journalists justly, recognize their value, and agree to a fair contract,” the petition says.