It appears the Communications Workers of America, the parent union of the Newspaper Guild, has all but declared war on the New York Times. The Guild, which represents over one thousand Time’s journalists and photographers, has been without a contract since March. Five other union locals that represent the Mailers, the Pressman and other unionized production workers have signed on to fight the paper’s proposal to freeze pensions and end an independent medical plan. The CWA has earmarked $350,000 for the fight, hired a politically savvy PR firm, and gathered 500+ signatures from current and former journalists on an open letter to the publisher. The unions also accuse the preeminent liberal media giant of reneging on past “lifetime job guarantees” given in exchange for concessions. Guild president Bill O’Meara said some are considering even “more dramatic” actions including a walkout and storming the publisher’s office. Stay tuned.
