Reuters Members Continue Protests in Washington, New York

Determined Reuters workers are continuing to rally in New York City and Washington, D.C., to protest a 10 percent cut in wages and benefits that Thomson Reuters has imposed on workers after claiming bargaining was at impasse.

"We understand the financial pressures that today's media face, but the cutbacks that Reuters is imposing are completely out of whack compared to the $36 million benefits package their CEO received in 2008," said Debby Zabarenko, Reuters unit chair for TNG-CWA Local 31001.

Learn more about the campaign and Reuters workers' fight for a fair contract at www.reutersexposed.com.

About 50 Washington-based Reuters employees – nearly half the bargaining unit – turned out for a noon protest outside the company's downtown offices. They were joined by members of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild; local Carpenters, who brought their giant inflatable rat, and other supporters. New York members are continuing protests outside NYC offices and other sites; an online advertising and mobile billboard campaign is asking business and Wall Street clients to consider whether Reuters' actions have made it "bad for your bottom line."

"I feel utterly betrayed and disrespected by this greedy, high-profit corporation," longtime Reuters employee Alan Elsner told a reporter in Washington. Recently diagnosed with cancer, Elsner worried aloud about how he'll afford treatment if the company follows through with both a 10 percent pay cut and hikes in out-of-pocket costs for health care.

TNG-CWA Local 31003 has filed several unfair labor practice charges against Thomson Reuters, including over the company's attempt to bar workers from wearing red to show their solidarity during negotiations. Zabarenko said the silver lining is members' unity. "I'm so proud of the strength and commitment of these workers," she said. "The solidarity they show toward each other is key to winning this fight."

Photo Caption: Kia Johnson, a TNG-CWA Local 31001 steward and Reuters television producer, rallies her colleagues at a recent protest in downtown Washington, D.C.