Union Boss Blasts BuzzFeed CEO: "Don't Be A Coward"

EXCLUSIVE: The nation’s largest news union is on the offensive as a once-meteoric media giant falls on hard times

The head of America’s largest labor union representing journalists has some pugilistic advice for BuzzFeed chief executive Jonah Peretti: “Don’t be a coward.”

The sharp rebuke from NewsGuild-CWA president Jon Schleuss comes as both sides are set to meet Tuesday to discuss the company’s plan to slash editorial jobs amid a newsroom management shakeup. But the biggest uncertainly about the talks is if Peretti will even attend.

BuzzFeed journalists are publicly fuming that Peretti has largely avoided his news team since last week’s announcement that cost-cutting measures could gut the 100-person BuzzFeed News staff by one-third. The team’s workers were also infuriated when he left an all-hands meeting just before it was opened up for questions.