Sept. 16, 2019

The Washington Post announced last week that it would shut down Express, its free weekday tabloid that had been in print for 16 years. Its 20 editorial employees found out they would lose their jobs the day before the publication printed its final edition.

These employees, many of them young women, performed the same jobs as other staff in our newsroom for substantially lesser pay. They published our journalism, and we published theirs. They were excluded from a union contract that would have protected them only by legal and bureaucratic fictions that labeled them a different entity within our company, though Post Express and The Washington Post are both owned by Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world.

Meanwhile, as these employees were working for lesser pay and fewer benefits due to their exclusion from the union, The Post announced dozens of new job openings. Had these layoffs affected guild-covered Post employees, they would have been given hiring priority for equivalent jobs that opened within 12 months, thanks to the union’s bargaining agreement.

In The Post’s commercial unit, the advertising department had one layoff the same day as the Express announcement. There are advertising teams that sell exclusively for Express, not to mention artists and production employees, who are uncertain of their futures. We are concerned that there will be reciprocal lay-offs of print sales representatives due to lost sales revenue because of the abrupt shutdown

We, members of The Washington Post Newspaper Guild and readers and supporters of Post journalism, demand that the company grant hiring priority to laid-off Express employees as it would to laid-off, Guild-covered Post employees.

The Post must do what is right for its employees, Guild-covered or not.

Signed,

Katie Mettler, Post Guild co-chair for news
David deJesus, Post Guild co-chair for commercial
Sarah Kaplan, Post Guild chief steward Post Guild
Justin Moyer, Washington-Baltimore News Guild treasurer, Post Guild vice-chair for news
Hau Chu, Post Guild secretary
Joe Fox, Post Guild steward
Andrea Platten, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Mike King, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
JM Rieger, Washington Post employee
Armand Emamdjomeh, Post Guild steward
Cathryn Rabinowitz, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Ross May, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Joe Davidson, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Chris Alcantara, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Jessica Contrera , Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Zainab Mudallal, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Samantha Schmidt , Washington Post employee
Tonya Riley, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Matt Schnabel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Emily Guskin, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Zoeann Murphy, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Sarah Hashemi, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Macy Freeman, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Lisa Bolton, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Jamie Zega, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Harrison Smith, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Matt Schudel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Molly Roberts, Washington Post employee
Maya Sugarman, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Mike DeBonis, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Daron Taylor, Washington Post employee
Carolyn Hax Ackerman, Washington Post employee
John Muyskens, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
John Price, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Patricia Howard, Washington Post employee
Jorge Ribas, Washington Post employee
Helen Carefoot, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Daniele Seiss Dolges, Washington Post employee
Kevin Uhrmacher, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel Siegel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Adriana Usero, Washington Post employee
Fred Kraus, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Whitney Shefte, Washington Post employee
Nia Decaille, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Emily Morman, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Anying Guo, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
David Lim, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Mallory Brangan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Grace Raver, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Lori Aratani, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Dino Grandoni, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Jeff Stein, Washington Post employee
Sonia Rao, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Razzan Nakhlawi, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Mark Lieberman, Former Washington Post Express employee
John S. Glass, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Luz Lazo, Washington Post employee
Kayla Epstein, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Fredrick Kunkle , Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Caitlin Gibson, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
David Jorgenson, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Justin Scuiletti, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Gillian Brockell, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Megan McCrink, Former Express/Post employee
Becky Little, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Miriam Zaki, Reader/supporter of Post Express
David Oliver, Former Express intern
Joshua Axelrod, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Julia Airey, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Samantha Reyes, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Joshua Bote, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Amira Dawsey, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Allison Capley, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Morgan Frances Howell, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ric Sanchez, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Kevin Jewett, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Philip Bump, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Brandon Carter, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Elliot Smilowitz, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Alex Laughlin, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Drew Goins, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Martine Powers, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Ann Boyd, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Victoria Tomlinson, Washington Post subscriber
Matt Traeger, Reader/supporter of Post Express
George Kielty, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Brian Keyes, Reader/supporter of Post Express
John Stanton, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Hijab Khan, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rachel Leigh Hall, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Robyn Swirling, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Olivia Rosane, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Suzanna Sati, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jason Ringer, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kara Dixon, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Joshua R Wimmer, Washington Post subscriber
Natalie Thielen Helper, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alex Horton, Washington Post employee
Andrea Bonior, Contractor for Express
Holly J. Morris, former Washington Post Express employee (2003-2016)
Alice Li, Washington Post employee
Bill Baker, NY Times Guild Unit Chair
Jennifer L. Petitt, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Leslie Shapiro, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Scott Nover, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Daniel Fishel, Illustrator
Jack Brandley, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ahmed Al-Munir, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Timothy Pierce, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Chris Lindsley, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Shayan Faradineh, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Miguel Melendez, Loyal reader and subscriber
Brian McCardle, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Amber Couzo, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Lindsay Johnson, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Meghan Hall, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Joon Lee, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Allison Ghaman, Former Post and Express employee
Grace Toohey, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Adam Levy, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sophie Ho, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Erin Damato, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Michelle Chovan, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jeremy Gottlieb, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Avi Selk, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Brittany Wagner, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ariel Plotnick, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Beth Becker, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ella Wood, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sara Deneweth, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Hilary Branch, Subscriber to the Washington Post
Linda Benesch, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alexander Abbott, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jeanine Nault, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Clara Raubertas, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Emily Goldberg, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Priyanka Saha, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Bryce Riley, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Nicole Vas, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alexandrea Rather, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Anjuman Ali, Washington Post employee
Caitlyn Rutan, Reader/supporter of Post Express
James Whitlock, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Mozelle Cox, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Frank  McCrink, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Andre Bransford, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alison McCrink, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kristi Walker, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Katherine Lee, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel Podnar, Former Express employee
Caroline Kitchener, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Brenna Hettler, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Colleen Kinninger Reader/supporter of Post Express
Elizabeth Hart, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Patrick Kahn, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Monica Chritton, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post employee
Asher Huey, Washington Post Subscriber
Sophia Nguyen, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Lenny Bernstein, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Madeleine Turner. Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sarah Rodgers, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Austin Gilkeson, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Chelsea Cirruzzo, Reader/supporter of Post Express
David Tepps, Former deputy managing editor of Washington Post Express and former contractor for Express
Michelle Boorstein, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rebecca Didio, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Madison Curtis, Former Washington Post Express employee
Sean Chappell, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jess Aloe, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rafael Noboa y Rivera Reader/supporter of Post Express
Amy Goldstein, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Nistasha Perez, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Michael Carabello, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Mariya Solomiy, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Fardeen Chowdhury, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Claire Meneer, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Andrei Stephens, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ashlyn Still, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Serena Golde, former Express employee
Sarah Shultis, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jon Schleuss, Washington Post subscriber
Jacob Brogan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Teddy Amenabar, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Sara Rothman, Washington Post subscriber
Taylor Gross, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Julie Cooper, Reader/supporter of Post Express
David Blumberg, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Frank Smith, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rebekah Stryker, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Tom Jackman, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Brian Barrette, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Taylor Telford, Washington Post employee
Andrew Russo, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kim Bellware, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Andy Bonior, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Braeden Connor Waddell, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Michael Brice-Saddler, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Anthony J. Rivera, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Grace Vitaglione, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Abigail Ohlheiser, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Paul Kane, Washington Post employee
Lena Felton, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post employee
Amber Ferguson, Washington Post employee
David Weigel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Nick Anderson, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Alexis Diao, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Ashleigh Joplin, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Ben Strauss, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Isaac Stanley-Becker, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Sonia Rangel, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post employee
Jordan Williams, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Whitney Leaming, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Beth Reinhard, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Matt Zapotosky, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Anthony Le, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Michael E. Miller, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Patricia Sullilvan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Bethonie Butler, Washington Post employee
Andrew Van Dam, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Hieu Truong, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Michael Birnbaum, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Aviva Loeb, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Amy Brittain, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
TJ Lepoutre, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Douglas MacMillan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
J. Romig, Citizen
Dan Lamothe, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Aaron Peters, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alec Viscovitch, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Shelly Tan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Jessica Suss, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Linah Mohammad, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Bryanna Cappadona, Former Express employee
James Pace-Cornsilk, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Thomas Johnson, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel Chason, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel Manteuffel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel Weiner, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Allyson Crowley, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Chloe K. Li, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Michael O’Sullivan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Elahe Izadi, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Alyson Griese, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Brittany Tovar, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Nathan Chong, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sherri Greeves, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Andrew Tran, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Wesley Lowery, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Edrie Irvine, Subscriber of The Washington Post
Aaron Williams, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Brittany Renee Mayes, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Sam Hoisington, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Paola Ruano, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Faiz Siddiqui, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Samuel Hale, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Deanna Beeler, Subscriber to Post online
Taryn Skinner, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rebecca Johnson, Lifelong citizen of greater Washington
Becky Krystal, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
JJ Watt, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rae Lemke Sprung, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kathryn Reid, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Davey Alba, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Grace Flinsch, Reader/supporter of Post Express
M. Alper, Reader/Supporter of the Washington Post
Rachel Sanders, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Katherine Cain, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Rachel Apatoff, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kate Bellock, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Door Williams, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kat McCarthy, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Mina Haq, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Seth Samuels, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Natalie Compton, Washington Post employee
Gloria Yip, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Antonia Farzan, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Julie Bone, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Annie Gowen, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Sara-Leina Hutson, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Matt Kostman, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Annie Morgan, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Eric Morrow, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Edgard Santos, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Zoe Tillman, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Seth Morris, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Paulina Firozi, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Joe Yerardi, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Joanne Lee, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Kari Sonde, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Carla Engle, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Nneka McGuire, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Jim Luttrell, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Reese Levin, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Denise Lu, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Brian Monroe, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Farah AlRaie, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jason Bernert, Washington Post employee
Monica Silvestro, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Tyler Remmel, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Kristen Kenney, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Graham Starr, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ema O'Connor, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Lindsey Sitz, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Emerson Malone, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Alexa McMahon, Washington Post employee
Sabrina Wear, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Charity Brown, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Dawn Davis, Reader/supporter of Post Express
D’Arcey G. Johnson, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kareem Fahim, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Matt Swenson, Former Express employee
Julia Strange, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Vivian Kolks, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jennifer Kline, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Deanna Beeler, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kari Gaynor, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Christy Guilfoyle, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Todd Gregory, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sharon Hagen, I believe in both unions AND a strong free press, which cannot exist if employees are demoralized and always worried about losing their jobs. Bezos should do the right thing and give first preference to former employees of the Post Express.
David Reinersmann, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Emily Stern, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Zander Willoughby, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Lauren Tierney, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Rachel G Bowers, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jennifer Hopkins, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Reis Thebault, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Taylor Sabol, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ashley C Nichols, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Sally Maso, retired and support unions because they support workers rights.
Shelby Jamerson, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Siobhan O'Grady, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Lindsay McKenzie, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Katherine Schroeder, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ryan Cahill, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Fenit Nirappil, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Paul Belcher, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Leigh Giangreco, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Min Cheng, Reader/supporter of Post Express
David Montgomery, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Mary-Ellen Deily, Member of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild
Heitham Ghariani, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Courtney Creek, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Aaron Gregg, Post employee and union member, longtime reader of Express
Lyn Beiler, Washington Post subscriber; Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kelly Lawler, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Pablo Iglesias Maurer, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Lauren Goodwillie, Reader/supporter of Post Express
A’Daris McNeese, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Loryn Wilson Carter, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Andrew Kreighbaum, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ryann Tanap, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Kery Murakami, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Steven Cook, News Guild member
Stephanie Hickey, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Evan Yeats, WBNG member, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Eric Mattson, Concerned citizen
Andrew Kierig, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Scott Lituchy, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Shannon Wrag, WaPo paid susbscriber
Stephanie Moore, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Caryn Ettinger-O’Brien, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Jennifer Malloy, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Gestin Skaggs, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Barbara Conner, Reader/supporter of Post Express
John Nakahata, Reader/supporter of Post Express
George Griffin, Friend
Nicole Jordan, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Paula Gorney, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Stephanie Hickey, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Ron Wurzer, Reader/supporter of Post Express
Arielle Lana LeJarde, Reader/supporter of Post Express