S.F. Bay Area Guild Units Vote On Merger

By: Joe Strupp Through newspaper strikes, ownership changes, and, of course, recent job cuts, the two major Newspaper Guild units in the San Francisco Bay Area have operated separately.

That may soon change as ballots are going out this week to the Northern California Media Workers Guild and the San Jose Newspaper Guild to approve a merger, according to a notice on the NCMW Web site.

"The merger and referendum were authorized during a special meeting of the Representative Assembly on Oct. 11," the notice says. "A similar process is under way in San Jose. Memberships in both locals must approve the merger for it to take effect as planned on Jan. 1, 2009."

Ballots must be returned by Oct. 31.

The merger proposal follows the consolidation in recent years of ownership by MediaNews Group, which owns nearly every major daily paper in the area, including the Oakland Tribune and San Jose Mercury News. Only the San Francisco Chronicle and the free San Francisco Examiner have other ownership.

"The proposed consolidation comes at a time of unprecedented challenges and budget-threatening layoffs by employers," the guild notice said. "Guild leaders in the Bay Area are describing the proposed merger as a way to streamline and improve operations while guaranteeing continuity for collective bargaining."

Media News' Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which includes nine daily papers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, has been the focal point of recent union battles. Guild leaders at those papers, which include the Oakland Tribune, were forced to organize a recertification vote earlier this year after MediaNews withdrew recognition of the union last year.

?A merger makes a lot of sense. We already work together closely, we represent people working for the same employers and we have common interests,? Michael Cabanatuan, president of the Northern California local, said in another web site post. ?Whether or not ?clustering? makes sense for newspapers, joining forces makes sense for us.???

The two locals would form a combined entity that would be known as the California Media Workers Guild, retaining the Northern California local?s number (39521) and San Francisco headquarters.

Bernie Lunzer, Newspaper Guild national president, said the merger is a natural for the two units that have faced similar local problems. He also said other markets could see merger efforts as more ownership is consolidated nationwide.

"We are beginning to have that discussion all over the place," he told E&P. "It is a local decision. It is not going to make sense everywhere. But where it does make sense, we will look at it."

The Northern California local represents about 2,000 media workers, and union staffs statewide, the union has said. It includes units at the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area News Group-East Bay, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Bay City News Service and McClatchy papers in Sacramento, Modesto and Fresno.

The San Jose local represents newsroom and commercial workers at the San Jose Mercury News and Monterey County Herald.??