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