On the eve of resuming contract negotiations, 50, or more, members of The Dayton Newspaper Guild yesterday marched in front of the Dayton Daily News building, 1611 South Main St. The Guild is protesting that the owner of DDN, Cox Media, is outsourcing jobs and is eliminating seniority rights.
In an e-mail message, the Guild wrote: “The newspaper wants to end job security for its most experienced workers by eliminating seniority-based layoffs. And even while the company gives nonunion newsroom managers raises and bonuses, it continues to deny small merit raises for hard-working union employees who kept the newspaper profitable during the recession. The newspaper and the Guild have been in contract negotiations for weeks. But so far, the newspaper has shown little interest in compromising on key elements of a potential deal.”
Lou Grieco is serving in his sixth term as president of the Guild and says that Guild members have been without a contract since 1989.
Rick McKiddy with DDN Guild President, Lou Grieco. Rick is the Democratic candidate seeking election to the Ohio Senate to represent Montgomery County's 6th District.
On the Guild’s web-site, Grieco is quoted as saying: “It’s time the Dayton Daily News be held accountable for its unjustified assault on middle-class journalism jobs. Newspaper executives have shown an unwillingness to compromise at the bargaining table that is far outside the mainstream. Their bias against the middle class must end. The Guild has tried to work toward compromise, but on key issues, the Company just wants to dictate terms. Our members are shocked, angry and hurt. They have been loyal during the toughest times in the Company’s history. They are working harder than ever, they have made sacrifices, they have successfully embraced change with genuine courage. And this is the thanks they get.”
The web-site points out that after the last protest rally, March 16, Cox Media refused to report the event: “Cox Media Ohio chose not to inform its own readers of the Dayton Daily News, viewers of WHIO-TV, and listeners of WHIO radio about the protest. The company likes to brag that it ‘covers both sides’ and is unbiased. But it abandons that philosophy if it thinks news coverage might ‘hurt the company.’ ”
It was a beautiful spring day as Newspaper Guild members met in front of the Dayton Daily News building to attempt to bring public attention to their disagreement with Cox Media.
Unbiased? You’ve got to be kidding me. Newspapers, if anything, are worse than broadcast media. The DDN has long been a propaganda arm of the Rushpubliscum Party.
That’s funny. The Republicans call us a Liberal rag. We must be doing something right.