AP Threatens Mass Layoffs Unless Guild Accepts Pension Freeze

Fighting for a fair contract at the Associated Press, TNG-CWA members protested at AP offices nationwide last week. Pictured are demonstrators in St. Louis (top) and San Francisco.

Associated Press workers and retirees protested at offices across the country last week, as the wire service added the threat of mass layoffs to a fierce attack on retirement security.

AP managers made the threats directly to workers, circumventing ongoing talks with the News Media Guild, TNG-CWA Local 31222. The union is documenting the contacts with workers to determine if the company violated anti-coercion provisions of the National Labor Relations Act.

"If there are grounds, we will promptly file charges with the National Labor Relations Board," Local 31222 President Tony Winton said.

Guild members report that their managers, acting for senior AP bosses, said employees were required to attend meetings, conference calls and in some cases personal "chats" about contract bargaining. "Managers told them that mass layoffs would start immediately if the Guild did not accept the AP's proposals within the next few days," Winton said.

Layoffs and employee buyouts already cost more than 100 jobs in 2009. In addition, Guild members at AP have gone without a wage increase for two years, accepted costly changes to their medical plan in the last round of bargaining and now are offering major concessions to their pension plan.

Winton said the union has proposed "creative, cost-saving solutions" to address AP's concerns while still protecting its workers' retirement security. Even AP called one plan "innovative" but "rejected the proposal, saying nothing but a total pension freeze was suitable," he said.

Last week, after six months of bargaining, the Guild asked AP to present a final offer to the union. The company declined, saying it would not "add one penny" to the economic package.

However, Winton said the Guild remains in contact with the company and a mediator, and is working toward setting a date for another bargaining session.

The News Media Guild represents about 1,200 AP reporters, photographers, broadcast workers, technicians and other employees in all 50 states. AP is a non-profit cooperative owned by U.S. newspapers.