Santa Barbara Paper Claims Union 'Coercion,' Files NLRB Complaint

By: E&P Staff Just days after the Teamsters filed its fifth unfair labor complaint against the Santa Barbara (Calif.) News-Press, the newspaper owned by Wendy McCaw has filed its own complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing the union of infringing on the paper's trademark and using rebellious newsroom managers to "coerce" employees into supporting the union's organizing effort.

In a statement released Tuesday, management of the paper said the union has used the News-Press name and trademark "to falsely create the impression among employees and others that the paper endorsed the union's organizing activities."

Management also alleged the union used certain newsroom supervisors and managers to urge employees to sign Teamster authorizing cards.

"The allegation of supervisor and manager coercion of newsroom employees stems from the time when there was considerable dissension between the senior editorial personnel and the papers' management, including reports that these editorial managers openly urged employees to accept union representation," the newspaper statement said. "The NLRB's decisions clearly hold that supervisory solicitation of union authorization cards is inherently coercive."

The News-Press also asked the NLRB to conduct a "full administrative investigation" of this alleged coercion -- and to postpone a hearing to determine who would be part of the bargaining unit until the investigation is completed.

The Teamsters called the paper's complaint a stalling tactic. Under the normal schedule an election to determine whether the newsroom will be unionized would take place in late September.

In their own unfair labor claims, employees supporting the Teamsters alleged that management intimidated journalists who are outspoken in support of the union drive, and that beats have been changed without proper notification.

The News-Press newsroom has been at virtual war with its owner since July when journalists charged McCaw was unethically interfering with the paper's reporting. Seven editors and a veteran columnist have quit the paper in protest, along with at least four reporters.