Reuters journalists support union to authorize a strike

Reuters journalists voted overwhelmingly in favor of authoring a strike against the company, saying it has delayed negotiating with the union over wage increases.

The vote took place on Thursday and Friday. Eighty percent of the bargaining unit participated in the vote and 81% voted in favor of the strike authorization.

In August, the News Guild filed an Unfair Labor Practice against Reuters for bad-faith bargaining after the company repeatedly stalled out bargaining by failing to provide the union with bargaining dates. Additionally, the bargaining unit has gone two years without a wage increase during a period of high inflation, while Reuters has routinely reported high profits.

A Reuters spokesperson provided the following statement to Talking Biz News: “Reuters is fully committed to constructive negotiations with the NewsGuild as we work towards a contract resolution for our U.S. union employees. These conversations are ongoing and we will continue to work with the Guild committee to settle on mutually agreeable terms.”

The strike authorization vote empowers the union’s bargaining committee to call a strike if the employer continues to stall out bargaining in violation of labor law and if progress isn’t made in contract talks, which are set to resume on Nov. 14.

“Our colleagues have given us a clear mandate to do what it takes to get a contract that reflects runaway inflation and the company’s multibillion-dollar cash hoard. So far, the company has dismissed the incredible amount of dedication we showed during the global pandemic and what we continue to do on a daily basis,” said Tim McLaughlin, unit chair, Reuters Guild, in a statement.

The NewsGuild of New York represents around 300 US-based Reuters journalists, photographers, videographers, copy editors, producers and technicians. In early August, 90 percent of the unit took a one-day strike across all US bureaus, the first at the company in over 30 years.

The News Guild of New York and Reuters reached a agreement on a three-year contract in late 2017.

The deal gave union members a minimum 2.25 percent raise in the first year and minimum 2 percent increases in the following two years, according to an email that the union sent to members.