Journalists and photographers at the United States news agency the Associated Press (AP) are withholding their bylines to protest management’s stance in contract talks, their union said on Monday.
”Staffers recognise the tough times, but they also understand that quality journalism at AP means attracting and retaining the best employees,” Tony Winton, president of the News Media Guild, said in a statement.
The Guild said AP reporters and photographers were withholding bylines and personal equipment ”in protest over the news agency’s proposals that would threaten job security, dramatically raise medical costs, and freeze wages”.
”They’re making it clear that AP’s future success means respecting its workers, not imposing huge medical costs and regressing on industry-standard job security terms,” Winton said.
In a statement, the AP said its ”proposals to the Guild are rooted in the desire to assure that we can maintain the maximum number of quality journalism jobs, and that these positions are compensated fairly and in accordance with the realities of today’s economic challenges.
”We’re hopeful that we’ll reach agreement on these critical issues.”
The Guild, which represents 1 400 editorial, technology and support workers at AP, has been bargaining with management since October 21 on a new contract to replace the one that expired on November 30.
The Guild said there has been agreement on a handful of articles, ”but the sides remain far apart”.
It said management had proposed a wage freeze in the first year of a two-year agreement, followed by a 2% increase the following year.
The Guild said it had opened with a 10% wage increase proposal, ”but has indicated flexibility at the bargaining table”.
Besides withholding bylines from stories and photographs, the Guild said some employees ”planned to withhold use of their personal vehicles, cellphones, and other equipment, while others were ‘working to rule’.”
The Guild said the protest began on Sunday and is ”set to end later this week”.
AP president and chief executive Tom Curley said last month that the New York-based AP, a cooperative owned by 1 500 daily US newspapers, plans to reduce its staff by 10% over the next year, mostly through attrition.
The move, which would amount to more than 400 jobs, was necessary because of a reduction in fees paid by member newspapers, many of which are facing financial difficulties, and the declining economy, Curley said.
AP is one of the world’s three major news agencies, along with Agence France-Presse and Reuters. – AFP