Manchester Newspaper Guild members on the picket line.
Some serious labor unrest has hit the New Hampshire Union Leader, as the Manchester Newspaper Guild voted 76-0 on Wednesday to turn down a contract proposal. According to the Guild, management has threatened to lay off six employees and implement a 10 percent pay cut if the two sides can’t reach an agreement by Monday.
The Guild claims that management “has demanded an across-the-board, 10-percent reduction in Guild salaries, cuts in sick time, a longer work week, the revocation of protections for full-time jobs, and the elimination of unpaid union leave, among other givebacks.”
Tony Schinella of Patch recently reported that the Guild picketed a Rick Perry event and wants all presidential candidates seeking an endorsement from the Union Leader to ask that management “bargain respectfully with its unions.”
The Union Leader does not appear to have covered the contract dispute in its own pages. Management is, of course, welcome to respond in the comments.
The photo, which accompanies the Patch story linked above, was provided to Patch by the Newspaper Guild.
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Aaron Read
FWIW, Clear Channel Radio just did some major bloodletting, too. I’m sure it’ll be all in next Monday’s NorthEast Radio Watch
Mike Benedict
I’m curious about some of the non-salary considerations. For example, just how long a work week do they already work? And how much longer is the UL proposing? If workers put in more hours, what does the UL expect to gain — a smaller staff?
Tony Schinella
Hey Dan, thanks for posting my link. I think they were a little surprised that I would do a story on it but it seemed worth my time, since no one else was doing it.
While it is true that the business model for newspapers is changing and modifications need to be made, the boots on the ground can’t be the only ones taking the hits.