News Guild of Maine (CWA 31128) “Optimistic” About Masthead Maine Sale to National Nonprofit

The News Guild of Maine (CWA 31128) — which represents nearly 200 workers at the Portland Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville — says it is “optimistic” about the sale of Masthead Maine’s newspapers to National Trust for Local News , a nonprofit dedicated to sustaining local journalism. The pending July 31 sale includes the Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun Journal, the Kennebec Journal, Waterville Sentinel and 17 weeklies in southern and western Maine.

“We are grateful that [Masthead Maine owner] Reade Brower chose to pursue a nonprofit business model rather than sell his companies to the bad actors that have decimated news organizations across the country," said the News Guild of Maine’s Executive Board in a statement. "In Colorado and other states, we see a positive track record for the National Trust for Local News, and we look forward to learning more about their plans.”

In late March, Brower announced that he was exploring ways to transition from being the sole owner of the company. Shortly after, retired Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz announced the formation of the Maine Journalism Foundation to raise $15 million to purchase the newspapers. However, as Maine Public reports, the group began pursuing other options when it became clear that it could not raise enough money to meet its goal.

"We had a lot of conversations going on with a lot of different organizations during the month of April and into the first half or so of May," he told Maine Public. "We knew that we couldn't do it without their help. You know, there's only so much money you can raise here in Maine.”

Nemitz said the funds will go toward financing the deal with the National Trust for News and that the Foundation will be working with the new owner on management of the papers. According to the News Guild, the National Trust for Local News will honor the existing union contracts at the company.

“That decision is critical to a smooth transition for the employees who produce our newspapers every single day,” the News Guild executive board continued. “The News Guild of Maine will seek a meeting with the team from the National Trust in the coming weeks so we can answer our questions about how the nonprofit will function and what this change will mean for our coworkers. Our priority will always be making sure employees have a voice in our workplace.”