Newsroom employees of The Kansas City Star form union, are recognized by McClatchy

Newsroom employees of The Kansas City Star have formed a union.

The McClatchy Co., which owns The Star, voluntarily recognized the Kansas City News Guild on Wednesday.

In announcing the voluntary recognition, The Star’s president and editor, Mike Fannin, said, “We have a long history of working collaboratively in this newsroom to support strong local journalism. Our shared efforts have resulted in vital work that has made the communities we serve better and more accountable.

“We prize the work of all our colleagues, and today, we are recognizing the Kansas City News Guild. Together, we can move forward with the mission of elevating our staff, our strategies and our journalism.”

On social media, guild members have expressed an appreciation of working at The Star and a desire to “protect local news.” According to its website, the guild wants “most of all ... a voice in the future direction of the company.” Areas of focus, the guild says, will be wages and benefits, professional growth opportunities and increased staff diversity.