AP’s Expired Contract May Explain Much of Its Union-Sympathetic Wisconsin Coverage
While looking into the News Media Guild's positions in the current standoff between it and the Associated Press, I came across the most recent contract ( large PDF file ) between the two. It expired this past November; unionized AP employees are continuing to work under the old contract's provisions. Many people don't know that the AP is a ” not-for-profit news cooperative ” which is “owned by its contributing newspapers ( over 1,000 ), radio and television stations ( over 5,000 ) in the United States.” It would appear to be exempt from paying federal, state, and local income taxes (and perhaps others), and as such would seem to have a competitive advantage over any person or entity which might consider competing with it. I thought readers might be interested in certain of the expired 65-page Editorial Unit contract's provisions, and consider how often such arrangements are available in the private sector (56 other pages which follow relate to Technology Unit, whose contract provisions are very similar; bolds are mine): (Page 7 — Article 6, Item 1) “There shall be no dismissals except for just and sufficient cause. The Guild and the employee shall be notified in writing at least four weeks in advance of any dismissal, with the reason for the dismissal stated in such notice, except in cases of proven financial dishonesty, gross insubordination, gross neglect of duty, or gross misconduct in the performance of his/her duties, or where discharge is self-provoked …”
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on March 21, 2011. Filed under