WSJ union and its recruiting tactics

The New York Post is reporting Tuesday that the union representing journalists at the Wall Street Journal has been aggressive in trying to get non-union journalists at Dow Jones & Co. to sign up.

Janet Whitman and Keith Kelly wrote, “Several journalists at the financial publisher’s newswire operation in Jersey City have started complaining about being harassed by phone calls from Wall Street Journal union reps looking to recruit them.

“Some reporters at the waterfront office complex said they’ve received more than one or two calls a day from different Journal reporters. Even union sympathizers said the calls are curbing their enthusiasm to sign up.

“Dow Jones management sent out a memo to employees yesterday telling reporters that they should ‘feel free to hang up,’ adding, ‘if you feel harassed, please let your manager know.’

“The stepped-up effort to unionize the waterfront office complex at Harborside Financial Center comes as Dow Jones and the union are trying to hammer out a new contract.

“Adding the 230 eligible Harborside employees – the largest non-union location at Dow Jones – could give the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees a lot more clout in contract negotiations.

“After making half-hearted attempts to recruit the Jersey City location in the past, the union is now closer than ever to winning its support.

“Talk at Dow Jones is that the union is only a dozen or two dozen employees away from getting the 50 percent majority it needs.”

Read more here. Also, the union’s web site notes that the two sides are back at the bargaining table this morning.