Nobody likes working for a company in decline. So we should not be surprised at outbreaks of unrest in the newspaper industry.
Unionized employees at the Associated Press (not a newspaper itself, but owned by and dependent on the newspaper industry) are very unhappy indeed about their employers' stance in contract talks with the Newspaper Guild labor union. Joe Strupp of Editor and Publisher writes:
The Associated Press' largest union claims that more than 500 AP employees have signed a petition "urging the company to reverse course in contract talks ... saying the company's bargaining stance threatens quality journalism."
The News Media Guild states in a press release that the petition signers "asked AP to change direction, finding the AP's contract proposals to the News Media Guild to be 'regressive.' In contract talks with the Guild, the AP is proposing a wage freeze, weakened job security, vastly larger prescription drug payments, increased medical plan co-payments, elimination of overtime pay for hundreds of employees, and a reduction of sick leave for new mothers."
AP Spokesman Paul Colford declined to comment....
Meanwhile, the ultra-PC Minneapolis Star-Tribune settled a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the EEOC on behalf of female employees for more than $300,000, and agreed to take measures to prevent future sexual harassment. Hello, sensitivity workshops! And the Orange County Register is settling a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of its newspaper delivery workers. The exact amount remains to be seen, but the suit demands $86 million on behalf of 5000 current and former carriers. Presumably the litigants will not delay in cashing those checks.
Hat tip: David Paulin
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