By: Staff Reports Federal Officials Want Extension To Review JOA Proposal
The Denver Newspaper Agency didn't waste any time in getting local
newspaper unions to support the proposed joint operating agreement
(JOA), which needs approval from the U.S. Attorney General.
The Agency and the Denver Council of Newspaper Unions announced Sunday
that they have agreed to seven-year contracts to be effective upon
approval of the proposed JOA between The Denver Post and
Denver Rocky Mountain News.
But federal officials want to take a thorough look at the Denver
newspapers' plan to merge business operations. In a June 29 filing,
U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawyers asked for a 60-day
extension, until Sept. 8, to examine the proposal.
Both the papers and the unions have been in discussions since the JOA
was proposed. The participating unions, including the Communications
Workers of America, Graphic Communications International Union, and the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, represent 2,600 employees at
the two papers.
Having reached a collective bargaining pact, the unions have voiced
their support of the JOA proposed by The E.W. Scripps Co. of Cincinnati
and Denver-based MediaNews Group.
The federal officials' request for an extension goes to Attorney
General Janet Reno, who must ultimately decide whether to allow the
joint operating agreement.
Antitrust experts and spokesmen for the newspapers said it appears
federal regulators need time to scrutinize complex financial data.
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Todd Shields contributed to this story.
(c) Copyright 2000, Editor & Publisher
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