Letter to Law360 Editorial Staff from NewsGuild of New York President Peter Szekely

Dear Law360 Employees,

One thing's for sure, you got your managers' attention. 

In the three weeks since we publicly declared that you wanted The NewsGuild of New York to represent you at work, Law360 management has used almost every trick in the anti-union book to get you to change your minds. They hired "consultants." They brought in top brass. They promised to do better if you'll just give them another chance. They deployed supervisors. They even admitted they "messed up" and then unceremoniously fired two top editors before your very eyes.

And now, the October surprise: With the election looming, management installed a popular and respected top editor who delivered a lawyered-up rosy outlook – if only you’ll vote “no.” 

These antics are more than any of us expected when HR sent you those emails saying that management would be "providing you with additional information so that you can make an educated and informed choice on this important issue." 

If you’re confused, just keep your eye on the ball.

There's a reason you wanted Guild representation, and that reason is still there. First, there were the non-competes. That problem got fixed, with a little help from the Guild and the New York State attorney general. But there are other problems that the state attorney general can’t fix: Onerous story quotas, long hours, skimpy OT pay and questionable editorial practices. The real problem is that you have no say over what happens in your workplace. And the only way to fix that is by tackling problems collectively with your colleagues. That's the enduring reason for having a union.

Management is spinning the bizarre narrative that if you reject Guild representation you'll give them "a chance to continue to work together." Yeah, well working together is what the NewsGuild does. We represent employees at 19 workplaces. You heard from many of them. We enable them to "work together" with their managers. It's not always easy, but in the end, agreements are reached and working lives are improved. If you want to work together, you've got to get together. 

The main difference between Law360 management's idea of working together and the way we actually do it is that our way, everybody's equal. Instead of a boss hearing your complaints and telling you how it's going to be, there are two sides striving for a meeting of the minds. There's dignity. And there's the force of law, which requires all parties to bargain in good faith. Another difference is that when you make a deal as a union, it’s enforceable and it endures no matter who comes out on top of the next management shuffle. This is what working together is really all about.

The nearly 3,000 Guild-represented employees and I look forward to welcoming you to our community. We’re ready to help you bring democracy to your workplace and to improve your working lives and the lives of Law360 journalists who come after you.

In Unity,

Peter Szekely

President

The NewsGuild of New York

 

Support from our future Guild colleagues at Bloomberg BNA

To my future Guild brothers and sisters at Law360:

I am the unit chair for the Guild at Bloomberg BNA, and have been an officer, steward, and/or activist with the union for nearly all of my 11 years here. I wanted to reach out and express my support for your organizing efforts and to encourage each and every one of you to vote in favor of Guild representation.

The Guild has been an integral part of BNA for decades, and has allowed us to attract and retain the best and the brightest because of the generous rights and benefits we have in our collective bargaining agreement. And I can usually provoke some jaw drops from my friends—most of whom aren’t in union environments—when I tell them about my 4 weeks of vacation (soon to be 5!), job protections, guaranteed annual pay raises on top of an annual bonus, health benefits, telework arrangement, overtime, parenting leave, pension (and 401(k)), etc. I could go on, but I am STILL discovering fantastic benefits in our CBA that I didn’t know we had.And that's after participating in 3 rounds of bargaining where I was able to have a voice in all of these things.

There is absolutely no reason NOT to have a union.

We are all rooting for you, and we have your backs. There is indeed strength in numbers. Keep fighting the good fight.

In solidarity,

Laura Francis

Senior Legal Editor, Bloomberg BNA

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Greetings!

I want to wish all of you at Law360 the strength, courage and tenacity to see your fight to the end and become unionized!  The struggles you have endured so far have surely been challenging but know that it will all be worth it.

In these days leading up to your election, be sure to lend support to one another and to stand strong to not cave to the fear-mongering you surely experience.  Don’t let emotional fears weaken your resolve and cause you to lose sight of your goal – due process in the workplace!

Know that, beyond the more obvious benefits like vacation days, sick days, overtime pay and healthcare, the most valuable asset in your contract will be the due process it affords each of you in protecting your job.  None of the other benefits matter if you don’t have a job because of the arbitrary whim of a manager.

Finally, recognize management’s arguments against organizing for what they are – tools to instill fear.  Don’t allow yourself to be led by false promises, such as higher pay or fairer treatment if you vote against organizing.  If management were going to pay you more, they could have always done so and would have done so already.  If management were going to treat you better, they could have always done so and would have done so already.  In fact, a union contract will not prevent management from giving you more pay, nor will it prevent them from treating you better.  The standards set forth for management in the contract will be the minimum, not the ceiling.

And lastly, know that the dues are minuscule compared to the benefits you will receive.  The value of difference in healthcare costs, vacation pay, guaranteed raises, overtime pay and all the benefits of job security you will have with a collectively bargained contract will FAR exceed the amount of dues you will pay.

We are all cheering for you and looking forward to your membership in The News Guild!

In Solidarity,

Tammara Madison

Federal Tax Law Editor

Bloomberg BNA

 

 

 

 

 

Guild journalists continue to send messages of support for #Law360Union

 

More NewsGuild members have reached out wanting to share their support as we fight for a union at Law360. Thank you to all who sent messages!

Hi Law360 team,

Congratulations on the amazing organizing work you're doing — I hope that soon we'll be able to count you as sisters and brothers in the NewsGuild! Being unionized has made a huge difference in my life. The health benefits that we've been able to negotiate as a group would, on their own, make the union worthwhile. But I've also been deeply grateful for something less concrete: at work, I am not afraid to speak my mind, make suggestions, or challenge authority. Our "just cause" provision protects us from arbitrary firing. It means that everybody has the liberty to speak up in the workplace. The peace of mind that this brings cannot be overstated. That peace of mind should be everyone's right.

Being part of the union has meant that I never feel isolated. If there's a problem, I talk it over with the shop steward. If we can't solve it, we call our local, and our rep has our back. We are lucky to work in a wonderful office, but if we have to challenge management, we never do it alone.

Hang tough. It's worth it.

In solidarity,
Sarah Leonard
Senior Editor, The Nation

Hello fellow journalists!

My name is Andy Sullivan and I'm the domestic policy correspondent for Reuters News and a proud member of the New York NewsGuild. I've had a rewarding 16-year career at Reuters and one big reason why is because we've got a strong union. We get a better health care package than our managers, we get paid overtime when we work long hours, and we speak up when a manager acts inappropriately. We also can make our voices heard when we see the news coverage straying from the core value of truthfulness and impartiality that have been central to the company's mission for more than 150 years.

I hear you're getting the full court press from hired goons who are trying to tell you that organizing is a bad idea. What possibly could they say? "You don't want a higher salary"? "No-compete clauses are great for your career"?

I've worked in union shops and non-union shops. There's no comparison. If you want a say in how much you earn and how you're treated in the workplace, we're eager to have you in the NewsGuild.

In Unity,
Andy Sullivan
Reuters

This is Tania from Pix11.

Just offering a few words of encouragement. In tough times, you must always remember it gets harder before it gets easier. Hang in there and know we have you in our thoughts and prayers.

Kind regards,
Tania Breton
PIX 11

Law360 staffers:

Stay strong in the face of anti-union management tactics! I look forward to welcoming you all to the NewsGuild, and I encourage you to vote for representation. Together we can make our lives better.

Best,
Matthew Grace
Copy Chief, The Nation

Good luck to you! We are all thinking of you at The Nation. Being in a unionized organization would make a great difference in your life on the job and in your happiness. In union there is strength.


Lisa Vandepaer
The Nation


As a former Law360 reporter, I know firsthand exactly what drove you to seek Guild representation. And as a current Guild member, I can assure you that what you're fighting for is worth it. Whatever concessions management may be promising you now, there is no substitute for a union with the power to stand up for your interests - whether that means ensuring job security, work/life balance or freedom to exercise your journalistic judgment. There is no downside. Don't be intimidated. There are a lot of us out here rooting for you.

Brendan Pierson
Reporter, Reuters
Former Law360 Reporter

The working conditions at Law360 sound overwhelming, and you deserve much better. The Nation has been organized by The NewsGuild for a long time, and all shop employees here have benefited tremendously from it, from realistic workloads to a real, accountable system to handle our workplace issues. Keep fighting for your rights, we stand in solidarity with you!

Frank Reynolds
Multimedia Editor, The Nation

I work for WPIX and I currently have representation from the News Guild, with which I am highly satisfied. I'm writing to encourage you to continue your battle with management to get the members of Law360 represented. It is very important that management can't be allowed to tread on these employees - nor any others. Keep up the good fight. 

Sincerely,
Jason Schaeffer
WPIX

I’m with you guys. As a matter of fact, we all are. So stick to your plan. Organize. It’ll work.

Management won’t make it easy. They never do. They are always full of excuses on why they cannot give to the ‘little guy”, while their profits soar. They’ll continue to ask you for more, and more work, without proper compensation... and that’s not just monetary. 

You’ve got thousands of brothers and sisters rooting for you. Know that we’ve got your back, because we are a union. Your fight is ours. So stick to your plan. Organize.  

Eric Russ
Photo Editor. Scholastic

To Law360 journalists,

Hang in there in your journey towards joining the Guild! I am a Reuters journalist and for 11 years I was in a part of the world where we didn't have union representation. Now I am in a Guild-represented job and it is a different universe. There are so many aspects of my work life that are better - the obvious ones being fair compensation and benefits. But most uplifting for me is being able to go through the work day knowing that we can do what we think is right without being afraid of retribution from managers who may not agree with us. 

Chizu Nomiyama
Desk Editor, Reuters

To everyone at Law360,

I would like to express my support as well as the support of all the members of our unit here at WPIX Television for your efforts to be represented by the NewsGuild.  As the unit Chairperson for the past 14 years I have seen first-hand, the benefits of having the NewsGuild in our corner.  Whether they are speaking to management on behalf of a single member, or sitting across the bargaining table for the entire unit, it was a great reassurance to know that they would put forth every effort to be sure that our people were treated fairly.

Just remember that persistence and perseverance will ultimately pay off in the end and will help you to win this fight.

Joe Punday
WPIX Unit Chair
Meteorologist|Weather Producer, PIX11 News

Before I joined Reuters in 2011, I had worked for numerous non-unionized newspapers, where I endured pay cuts and wage freezes, logged countless hours of overtime without compensation and watched talented colleagues lose their jobs without justification or recourse. At the time, I accepted those problems as the inescapable drawbacks of the industry we all have chosen.

As a result, I was skeptical of having to pay membership dues when I came to Reuters, without understanding what it would offer me in return. But I’ve never once regretted the presence of our union (and in fact I’m now a shop steward and a member of our CBA negotiating team). We have better pay, contractually guaranteed wage increases, excellent health care, strong rules that ensure we don’t have to work for free and protections from arbitrary discipline or termination. And despite what your management may try to argue, the Guild does not act as a barrier between editors and their workers. On the contrary, most of our bosses understand and respect the union’s role, and in many cases the Guild has helped open lines of communication so that reporters feel free to express their opinions without fear of retribution.

Join us. We’re with you.

Joseph Ax
Reporter, Reuters

To the journalists of Law360: 

I spent two years in your shoes, and I know exactly how hard you work every single day. Unionizing isn't a magic bullet – you'll still work long hours, and cover a zillion stories, and clash with your editors from time to time. But I have seen just how critical it is to have a union to get my back when it comes to getting full compensation for all of the hours I work, protecting me from management's whims and making sure that I get the benefits that I have earned. It's tough to stand alone on these things; when you stand together with your colleagues, it makes a real impact. 

You create something tremendously valuable every day, and you have the right to ask for something in return. I truly admire your courage and tenacity, no matter what happens. 

Jessica Dye
Reporter, Reuters
Former Law360 Reporter

NewsGuild journalists back #Law360Union

Since going public, NewsGuild members have been reaching out with words of support and encouragement as we fight for a union at Law360. Thank you everyone for your kind words!

Dear Law 360 Journalists:

The NewsGuild and my union dues are my safety net. Make them yours too. Stay the course!

Suzanne Barlyn
Correspondent
Reuters

Dear comrades at Law 360:

Good luck and best wishes as you work to form a union.

Much respect.

Jake Doherty
Staff Editor
The New York Times 

We're all pulling for you here at The Times. Sometimes we worry that new media and younger journalists are no longer interested in the benefits of unions. But your courageous efforts show us otherwise – and demonstrate just how important it is for everyone to band together through these tumultuous times.

Clay Risen
Senior Staff Editor
Op-Ed
The New York Times

Hi. I'm a desk editor at Reuters. I've been at the company for 25 years. My longevity and the secure work environment is due very much to the Guild. I'm a proud and grateful Guild member. Don't let your managers intimidate you. Let the Guild make your professional life better. We're with you. Be strong. Good luck.

Jeff Benkoe
Reuters

You folks over at Law360 specialize in covering the courts, and lawyers who can dance with best of them. You're smart and don't need to be told what to make of the anti-union rhetoric you may be hearing ahead of your Aug. 10 vote on NewsGuild representation. As a Guild member, I want to wish you all the best of luck though. You won't regret voting "yes" to Guild membership and your solidarity is beneficial to all of us.

Tom Brown
Desk Editor
Thomson Reuters

I am a journalist at Reuters and a NewsGuild activist. My words are simple: Don't give up. Union representation is a great thing. And it's worth fighting for. You don't deserve to be harassed by management. You're better than that, and you know that. Don't let management intimidate you.

Leslie Adler
Thomson Reuters

When I moved from Law360 to Reuters in 2011, Law360 tried to sue me for violating a bogus noncompete. The attempt failed, but as a result, Law360 drafted a new, stronger noncompete – the same one that eventually led to Stephanie Russell-Kraft losing her job. While I was very lucky not to suffer the same fate as Stephanie, it was a scary time for me, and the cost of fighting Law360 – both financially and emotionally – was almost too much to bear. So I know first-hand how Law360 operates, and I've experienced a version of the tactics you all are now facing – the ones that try to convince you that doing what's in your best interest is more trouble than it's worth. The thing is, this is only true if you let it be. United you stand, divided you fall – it's a cliché, but it's true. Fear is your only weakness, and LRI's tactics only have the power you give them. If you stay strong, and stay united, and follow through on this plan, and you don't allow their intimidation to get to you, then you will come out the other side stronger, and in a better position to advocate for yourself in the future. Stay strong. 

Nick Brown
Reporter, Reuters
Former Law360 Reporter

Dear Law360 friends, 

Don't be discouraged! Fighting for union representation is utterly worthwhile. The Guild was able to save our pensions when The Times wanted to junk them – and in fact DID junk our managers' pensions. 

When I talk to my colleagues and bosses about the union, I point out that the union is the only force standing between corporate bottom liners and our editorial priorities. The more the union can preserve for workers, the less likely it is that the company can justify eroding the compensation of NON-union members. 

We are all in it together, and having a collective stance gives your voice impact. 

Good luck!

Andrea Kannapell
Writer and Editor, The Evening Briefing and What We're Reading newsletter
The New York Times

You folks at Law360 certainly know better than anyone the b-s that lawyers can spin. I urge you to stand fast against the onslaught from Jackson Lewis and LRI.

As a nearly 30-year member of The NewsGuild of New York, I've never regretted for a moment belonging to this union. Knowing there's a contract that governs my employment at Reuters, including negotiated raises (but no pay ceiling) and benefits – and most importantly, a "just cause" clause for discipline – is worth every dollar of dues.

It may sound trite, but it's true – a workplace that has a union usually deserves one. From what I know of Law360, it's certainly fitting.

Good luck to you.

Dan Grebler
Desk Editor, Reuters
Chair, Reuters Unit, NewsGuild of New York

Where is Law360's commitment to its employees' rights? Sure, it finally gave up on its non-compete agreement – after intervention by prosecutors. PROSECUTORS!!! As a top legal publication, isn't it ashamed of the way it skirts the legal limits of employment law?

Isn't it ashamed of its disrespect for employees' rights, needs and desires? Isn't it ashamed that it is potentially degrading its high-quality product by lowering workplace standards and pressuring employees? Isn't it ashamed of the anti-humanistic reputation that it continues to create for itself? It should be ashamed of all those things.

The company may now be trying to convince you that life in a union shop is tedious and bureaucratic. That unions are innovation killers. That they suck dues from your wages and offer little in return. That they create havoc between managers and reporters. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. On a daily basis at Reuters, the union is a non-issue. Here we are part of a global team that produces some of the highest-quality journalism of any place I've ever worked, AND we're a strong union shop. My managers respect the Guild -- as I'm sure many of your managers do also. Together we are focused on doing the best journalism we can while also honoring work-life balance and getting compensated fairly when that balance gets out of whack. But as wonderful as many of our bosses are, I'm not under any illusion that our life here would be so grand without The NewsGuild and an enforceable contract.

Stay strong you guys.

Fondest wishes,
Hilary Russ
Journalist, Reuters News

Meetings, meetings and more meetings

It's been over a week and a half since we’ve gone public with our campaign to improve our working conditions at Law360, and a lot has happened in that time. We’ve been made to sit through multiple anti-union meetings with Labor Relations Institute and distracted from our work for hours. It's been frustrating, to say the least, but inspiring to see how strong we have been in the face of the barrage of anti-union propaganda the company has been throwing our way. 

Most of us have sat through meetings with one or more of the consultants from Labor Relations Institute. While these meetings have been billed as a way to tell us our rights and to provide necessary information before our union vote, the consultants have included misinformation intended to intimidate us rather than educate. 

It’s important to remember that these consultants are paid to deter the newsroom from unionizing. You can check out their website if you’d like more information on their track record: lrionline.com.

Katie, Austin and Jeff have adjusted their tone and message from meeting to meeting, trying out new tactics with different groups based on how we’ve responded, to determine the most effective way to undermine our organizing drive. 

When employees challenged their misinformation and scare tactics they were at times met with hostility and accusations that those employees were on “the payroll” of the union. We find this behavior in our workplace disrespectful, yet unsurprising.

After concerns were voiced to management, they switched their tactics and took a softer tone, saying that they were simply offering management’s perspective. At several points, they went so far as to say that they believed we were “likely to vote for the union.” 

In recent days, we've also finally caught the attention of LexisNexis, who have sent executive Sean Fitzpatrick who has attempted to sweet-talk us from collectively addressing our concerns. 

We're less than one week out from the election, so we can take heart that these meetings will stop on Monday under U.S. labor law. 

These consultants are not part of Law360. Their comments have shown they do not know us or our specific employment circumstances, nor do they seem to know The NewsGuild or its bargained contracts. 

We've come this far and we've already managed to create a closer community at Law360 through this organizing effort. So let's stay strong through the final stretch. 

Welcome!

Welcome to your union! A group of Law360 reporters, editors and news assistants set up this site to be a go-to resource for all things related to our organizing drive, and to keep editorial staffers informed as the unionization process plays out.

While many of us have had issues with our jobs for years, some of us in editorial got to talking a number of months ago about how our working lives at Law360 could use some improvements. Law360 had just torpedoed a former colleague's career with a noncompete agreement, threatening all of our career prospects, and the mood was grim.

But it wasn’t just the noncompete we were unhappy about. We soon realized that most of our coworkers had other shared grievances – like a grueling quota-based workload, poor compensation in comparison with our competitors, unfair overtime policies, unpredictable benefits and problematic editorial practices.

So we took action. We connected with The NewsGuild of New York, which represents numerous news organizations like Reuters, The New York Times and The Nation, and got to work reaching out to everyone in the newsroom to make this union a reality. Once our union is certified, we'll be able to collectively bargain for a legally binding contract that protects things like compensation, benefits and editorial independence.

We’ve seen how management has dealt with us in the past on an individual basis, and unfortunately that’s been marked by a lack of transparency about things like promotions and pay raises, indifference to staffers’ concerns about a healthy work-life balance and editorial policies that even our readers have called less than stellar. But if we band together, our position is strong, and we can make a real difference in our jobs.

Don’t believe us? Take a look at some of the other Guild-negotiated contracts, and the favorable terms for journalists that union-represented newsrooms have been able to achieve.

Although we've signed cards and petitioned the higher-ups for recognition, management has decided to bring in highly paid anti-union consultants to scare us way from voting "yes" in our election. We anticipate the next few weeks are going to get tense, as the company tries desperately to reverse the months of discussions and conversations we've had with one another about union representation. It might seem daunting, but when we know what to expect, there's no reason to be afraid. This is one of the reasons why we created this site, to guide you through what lies ahead, and to serve as a resource through our election, and eventually the collective bargaining process.

If you haven't signed a union card yet, you can do so by clicking the "sign card" button at the top right of this page.

In the meantime, check out the site and stay tuned for updates in the News section. If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of your colleagues listed on contact page. There you'll also find contact info for our Guild organizer – Nastaran Mohit. We really want to hear from you and welcome your involvement. The more people who take an active role in this union, the stronger our position will be at the bargaining table.

We're all in this together. Let’s make this union a reality and change Law360 and our lives for the better.