By: Joe Strupp U.S.-based editorial employees of The Associated Press, who have been working without a contract since Nov. 30, are planning a byline/credit strike to protest what they claim are unfair wage and fringe-benefit offers from management, union leaders said.
Local 31222 of The Newspaper Guild/CWA represents about 1,700 AP reporters, photographers, and other editorial employees, according to local President Tony Winton. The byline/credit strike would begin at noon Thursday and run through noon on Friday, Winton said, which would affect stories slated for publication in Friday's newspapers.
"A byline strike is a public expression of our dissatisfaction with AP's stance in negotiations," he told
E&P. "It reminds the company who is pumping out those millions of words each day."
The Jan. 10 date was chosen, Winton said, because that is the deadline set by management for the union to agree to a new contract or risk losing retroactive pay once a deal is struck. AP spokeswoman Kelly Smith Tunney declined to comment on the byline strike or any element of the contract talks.
Union negotiators, who are continuing to meet with management representatives and have a negotiating session set for Thursday, said AP's latest pay offer was unfair. Winton said management is offering a two-year contract with 1.9% pay hikes each year, while the union wants a two-year deal with 8% raises annually.
"We are so far behind
The New York Times and Reuters and other news organizations in pay that it is driving people out the door," said Winton, who claims the news cooperative has had a 36% turnover rate over the last three years. "We are worried as journalists that it will start to affect quality."
Winton also said Guild members want AP to pay a higher percentage of employee health-benefit premiums, launch domestic-partner benefits, and keep protections for job security in place.
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