The tide of dissatisfaction is rising at the
Boston Globe, where members of the Newspaper Guild -- the largest union, representing newsroom employees -- have written a letter
to Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the chairman of the New York Times Co., protesting the company's handling of recent negotiations over proposed cuts to pay and benefits, and asking Sulzberger to take a
personal role in ongoing negotiations.
The request comes after the NYTCO revealed that it has no immediate plans to close the Boston Globe, as once threatened. However, the
company also faces a challenge to the unilateral 23% pay cut it adopted as an "Alternative Final Proposal" after the failure of the recent negotiations. The Newspaper Guild, representing 690 newsroom
workers, is challenging the pay cut by lodging complaints with federal regulators. If the pay cut plan is blocked or unwound, the threat to close the Boston Globe could come back on the table.
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On Monday, the Newspaper Guild voted against concessions sought by NYTCO management including an 8.3% pay cut, a week of unpaid furlough, big slashes in 401(k) and pension contributions, and an
end to lifetime employment guarantees for roughly 190 employees. The NYTCO first warned in April that it would have to close the Boston Globe unless it obtained $20 million worth of concessions
from the various unions at the newspaper. Some Boston Globe workers doubted the company would actually close the property, and complained that management has not carried the same burden as
rank-and-file employees in pay cuts, reduced benefits, and layoffs. Nonetheless, the vote was close.
The NYTCO is also said to be preparing to put the Boston Globe up for auction,
according to a report in The New York Times, with plans to solicit bids over the next couple of weeks. NYTCO is also trying to sell its 17.5% stake in the Boston Red Sox sports franchise, which
includes valuable property in Fenway Park. Both sales are being advised by Goldman Sachs, the Times report said.
The letter to Sulzberger reads, in part: "We're all too aware of the awful
economic climate and the precipitous challenges to the newspaper industry. Most of us went into this work because of our love for it, not for the money. We never expected high salaries; we just wanted
reasonable pay, enough to make ends meet... We're asking you to call off the lawyers, head off a bitter fight, and come forward with a plan that would attract a bit more support from the Guild."