GUILD LEADER
WEEK-LONG
BYLINE STRIKE STARTS SEPT. 10
The Guild is calling for a week-long byline strike, beginning with the newspaper to be published Monday, September 10, and running through the Sunday Journal of September 16.
The demonstration is one of several actions the Guild is taking to protest to Journal's illegal conduct during contract bargaining and the company's failure to make constructive moves toward reaching agreement for a new contract. Guild members who perform work that does not normally get their names printed in the paper will be given the opportunity to wear blank name tags, to show support for the byline strikers. It has been over a year since the Guild last engaged in a week-long byline strike. However, some reporters and photographers have been withholding their bylines and credit lines on their own. The purpose of the action is to emphasize the increasing seriousness of the negotiations, and of the Guild's desire to move the two sides to a contract agreement as soon as possible. The executive board has outlined general guidelines:
The Guild has been attempting to negotiate a new contract since October 1999. The company has made no effort to close the gap between its and the union's positions since the proposal of Jan. 24, 2000 which was turned down by the Guild membership in a 354 to 28 secret ballot vote. The two sides last met February 14. Since these the company has refused to negotiate over the contract. The byline action is designed to show the company - and the public - the union's resolve to win a fair contract through frank and constructive collective bargaining.
TNG/CWA Local 31041 270 Westmister St., Providence, Rhode Island 02903 401-421-9466 | Fax: 401-421-9495 png@riguild.org |