Buyouts magazine asks for union representation; Vote is Friday

The six editorial employees of Buyouts magazine, a Thomson Reuters property, have asked to be represented by the Newspaper Guild like their brethren in the Reuters newsroom.

A vote is scheduled for this Friday despite management’s efforts to prevent it from happening, according to a post on the Guild’s site.

The Guild states, “Professing to have the employees’ best interests at heart, the company bureaucrats told them there was no need for a ‘third party’ and that the Guild could assure them of nothing, only wanted their dues and could fine them for not picketing or not wearing a red T-shirt. Then, in a switch to a bad-cop routine, the bureaucrats said if they chose the Guild, they would face tough bargaining and might never get a contract.

“This week, their boss is scheduling individual meetings with each of them. Next week, they’re scheduled to have another group meeting. Then comes the vote. U.S. labor law doesn’t ensure that unions get this kind of access to employees. Right now, these employees are probably feeling pressured and isolated. If you know any of them, a little sign of support right now would be most welcome.

“Under U.S. labor law, the Buyouts group must be considered a separate unit from other Guild members at Thomson Reuters, unless the Guild and management can agree on terms for combining the two groups, which we will certainly try to do. The Guild is bargaining a first contract for another small group of company employees in TV’s Reuters Support Services (RSS), who voted for the Guild last year.”

Read more here.