Washington Baltimore Newspaper Guild
WBNG

President's Perspective
Show of Solidarity and a Symbolic Rat Roil Reuters

(Jan. 29, 2010)  Over lunch hour on a crisp, clear last Friday in January, Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild members joined with their brothers and sisters from the New York Guild in an informational picket line outside the H Street NW offices of Reuters.

The New York local represents Reuters workers throughout the United States, and when they asked for some D.C. solidarity, we were more than happy to oblige.

The Metropolitan Washington AFL-CIO found a giant inflatable rat to oversee the picket line. Such rats have an important history in the New York City labor movement. In fact, the rat’s presence was challenged in court by one New York employer who just didn’t like it. But the union’s free-speech rights were upheld, and  you are not likely to see any labor action in the Big Apple these days without the 20-foot rubber rodent being on hand.

For WBNG’s part, we sent out the call to have members join Reuters workers on the picket line. From my spot in the picket-line oval, I spotted members from Agence France-Presse, the Bureau of National Affairs, the American Postal Workers Union, Catholic News Service, and an at-large member, plus WBNG staff and at least one former Guild member, a Washington Post worker who had taken a buyout.

Reuters management recently declared impasse at the bargaining table. It wants to impose wage and benefit cuts even though it’s making money. But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what the New York Guild has to say about the Reuters situation in leaflets distributed to downtown passersby:

REUTERS WANTS TO SELL NEWS ON THE CHEAP

Thomson Reuters wants its clients, who rely on top-quality news every second of the day to make crucial, million-dollar decisions, to get by with news put out on the cheap.

Company managers are slashing the compensation of the employees who put in extra effort every day to provide top-quality news coverage. They’re telling most of the men and women whose work makes Reuters news the best in the world to live on at least 10 percent less than they’re getting now, including reduced heath care and retirement benefits.

That cheap approach to its employees and its customers comes as Thomson Reuters continues to make money and after CEO Tom Glocer raked in $36 million in 2008.

That’s no way to be competitive. That’s no way to instill customer confidence in Reuters’ news. That’s no way to preserve high-quality journalism

The Newspaper Guild of New York and the more than 400 Thomson Reuters employees it represents want company managers to negotiate fairly and honestly, and to value those who produce what Reuters and its clients value – a quality product.

[Me again.] During our hour outside Reuters, we engaged in lively chants such as: “Don’t take my 401(k), I wanna retire some day.” “Impasse? No class!” “Return to the table. We know that you’re able.”

This is the solidarity we’re pleased to show when our union brothers and sisters need help. And, should we ever need it to defend the rights of our own local’s members, you can be sure that we’ll spread the call for solidarity far and wide.

– Mark Pattison