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Newspaper Guild Condemns Remarks by UPI Executive: Plan Would Violate Workers Rights and Civil Right
The union that represents employees of United Press International is challenging statements by the company's top executive made during a seminar in New York and reported in the March 20 edition of The New York Post. In that report, Chief Executive Officer James Adams said he will "be replacing the tired hacks with a new generation" of web-savvy young workers and will "destroy the inert bureaucracy of UPI."
"We are pleased to see UPI pursue new technology aggressively and welcome its joint venture with Microsoft to produce new delivery systems and new products," said Kevin Keane, president of the Wire Service Guild, which represents UPI's unionized staff. The UPI employees are members of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America.
"However, this plan cannot include an effort to force out UPI's veteran employees in favor of younger staffers. That would violate age discrimination laws and other federal civil rights statutes, as well as UPI's collective bargaining agreement with the Guild. If it transpires, it will be challenged aggressively by this local, The Newspaper Guild and the Communications Workers of America,'' Keane said.
In a letter to Adams, Keane said the statements alarmed UPI's staff, especially older workers who have provided years of dedicated service and played an important role in ensuring the company's survival through difficult times, Keane said.
"Guild-covered reporters, editors, photographers and others have long been frustrated with UPI's failure to take steps to strengthen the company. The shortcomings Adams addressed were not caused by UPI's unionized staff, but by past managements' failure to listen to UPI's employees to react to a changing industry," he added.
Keane reminded Adams that employment decisions are to "be based on seniority and the quality of one's work and not age" and called for assurances by the company that it will abide by the collective bargaining agreement and federal law statutes that prohibit discrimination based on age.
The Wire Service Guild, Local 31222 of TNG/CWA, represents the editorial, photo and clerical staff of The Associated Press and United Press International.
"We are pleased to see UPI pursue new technology aggressively and welcome its joint venture with Microsoft to produce new delivery systems and new products," said Kevin Keane, president of the Wire Service Guild, which represents UPI's unionized staff. The UPI employees are members of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America.
"However, this plan cannot include an effort to force out UPI's veteran employees in favor of younger staffers. That would violate age discrimination laws and other federal civil rights statutes, as well as UPI's collective bargaining agreement with the Guild. If it transpires, it will be challenged aggressively by this local, The Newspaper Guild and the Communications Workers of America,'' Keane said.
In a letter to Adams, Keane said the statements alarmed UPI's staff, especially older workers who have provided years of dedicated service and played an important role in ensuring the company's survival through difficult times, Keane said.
"Guild-covered reporters, editors, photographers and others have long been frustrated with UPI's failure to take steps to strengthen the company. The shortcomings Adams addressed were not caused by UPI's unionized staff, but by past managements' failure to listen to UPI's employees to react to a changing industry," he added.
Keane reminded Adams that employment decisions are to "be based on seniority and the quality of one's work and not age" and called for assurances by the company that it will abide by the collective bargaining agreement and federal law statutes that prohibit discrimination based on age.
The Wire Service Guild, Local 31222 of TNG/CWA, represents the editorial, photo and clerical staff of The Associated Press and United Press International.