Guild representing Reuters journalists asks consumers to complain to mayor

Celeste Katz of the New York Daily News reports Monday that the Newspaper Guild of New York, which represents Reuters business journalists in its contract dispute with management, is now asking consumers — via a radio campaign — to complain to New York mayor Mike Bloomberg about tax breaks that Reuters received when it built its Times Square offices.

Katz writes, “The spot, which you can listen to here and which will be airing on WINS and WCBS AM, says ‘Media giant Thomson Reuters was supposed to create hundreds of new jobs to get $26 million dollars in New York tax breaks. But now the company is cutting pay and benefits for hundreds of its employees.’

“It winds up by asking why a foreign company should get tax breaks in tough times, and says voters should call the mayor’s office to complain.

“Responded Thomson Reuters spokeswoman Courtney Dolan:

‘Since October 2008 the Newspaper Guild of NY, which represents approximately 440 employees out of more than 3,700 Thomson Reuters employees in NYC, has refused to put a single, comprehensive offer on the table. As a result, Reuters declared an impasse in January 2010 in accordance with applicable law. Reuters stands behind its position and is committed to moving the organization forward. We look forward to the day when the Guild directs its efforts to returning to the bargaining table with a meaningful counterproposal to our best offer instead of creating misleading videos and radio ads.’

“The Guild has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.”