Employees in Santa Barbara Okay Union -- Paper Will Challenge

By: Joe Strupp Newsroom employees of the Santa Barbara News-Press voted for representation by a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Wednesday, the newspaper announced.

In a statement, however, the paper said it was challenging the vote, claiming possible coercion.

?Based on the tactics employed by the union, the News-Press is not convinced that its employees were afforded a fair election free from coercion,? Spokeswoman Agnes Huff said in the statement, which did not cite specifics. ?The paper will consider all its options.?

Huff also declined to provide an exact vote tally, but indicated a majority of the nearly 50 newsroom workers had approved the representation by the Teamsters? Graphic Communications Council. The union?s next step is to begin bargaining. No dates have been set.

Attorney Ira Gottlieb, who represents the workers, told Associated Press that the vote tally was 33-6. "This historic vote sends a serious message to the company that we are strong and united in our efforts," the employees said in a statement to AP.

The results must be certified by the National Labor Relations Board before contract negotiations can start.

?While we are very disappointed in the outcome of today?s election and the way this organizing campaign has been waged, we are pleased that this unpleasant labor dispute is moving towards a resolution,? said Co-Publisher Wendy McCaw in a statement. ?The focus of our attention remains on our responsibility to provide timely, balanced news coverage to our readers in Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities.?

Huff also said, in her statement, that ?if the election results stand up to review, the union will engage in contract negotiations for the nearly 50 newsroom employees out of the 206 total newspaper workforce.?

Those 50 employees will be the only unionized workers at the paper.

The union vote is the latest in a recent labor battle at the paper that began July 6 when a handful of editors, including former editor Jerry Roberts, resigned in protest, claiming McCaw had meddled in newsroom activities. Since then, at least 23 newsroom staffers have quit, while many of those remaining launched the union drive and started a subscriber boycott campaign.