More than 700 unionized staffers at The Washington Post launched a 24-hour walkout on Thursday, in response to the lack of progress in contract negotiations with the newspaper's leadership. The protest marked the first such action at the legendary paper since the mid-1970s.

The Washington Post Guild, which is a member of the broader Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild, accused management of negotiating in "bad faith." They are seeking a contract that addresses pay disparities, provides raises for employees, and offers job protections amidst the looming prospect of layoffs.

In a statement posted online, the union lamented the lack of a contract that keeps pace with record-level inflation and guarantees workers a living wage. They also laid blame on previous leadership at the Post for the current financial challenges faced by the company.

The Post spokesperson responded to the walkout, stating that they respected the rights of their Guild-covered colleagues to engage in the planned one-day strike. They assured readers and customers that efforts would be made to minimize any disruption caused by the walkout. The spokesperson reiterated that the Post's goal remains the same: to reach an agreement with the Guild that meets both the needs of the employees and the business.

In a video shared prior to the walkout, Post staffers rallied the public to support the cause by refusing to cross the picket line. They urged readers to abstain from engaging with content on the Post's website and freelancers to ignore any assignment offers.

The walkout comes as the Post's leadership grapples with a $100 million shortfall. To bridge the gap, the possibility of buyouts or layoffs has been floated. Incoming CEO Will Lewis, a Dow Jones veteran, has been tasked with reversing declining readerships and subscriptions while concurrently managing rising costs.

According to the Guild, the Post has already laid off nearly 40 employees in the past year. In October, acting CEO Patty Stonesifer announced the offer of 240 voluntary buyouts for Post employees; however, only 120 have taken up the offer thus far. Stonesifer warned that "involuntary buyouts" may be considered if the target is not met.

This walkout is not the only instance of strike action at a major news outlet in the past year. Staffers at digital outlet Insider conducted a 13-day walkout - the longest in the history of digital media - in June. Similarly, employees at the New York Times staged two strikes in the last year. They organized a company-wide one-day walkout on December 7, 2022, and tech workers staged a half-day walkout in October to protest against an order to return to the office.

The NewsGuild, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America, represents journalists from various media outlets, including POLITICO.