Which is it, Ted?

Two letters to employees from publisher send very different messages

20 Mar 2008

The Hawaii Newspaper Guild

On March 11, 2008, Hawaii Tribune-Herald Publisher Ted Dixon sent employees a letter about the judge’s decision in the recent trial on 13 National Labor Relations Board complaints against the company based on charges filed by the Hawaii Newspaper Guild.

Dixon wrote, “The judge ruled in favor of the NLRB on most of the charges filed.”

Indeed, Judge John L. McCarrick ruled in favor of the NLRB, which brought the charges on the Guild’s behalf, resulting in a tremendous victory for Guild members on 12 of the 13 complaints which, we would agree with Dixon, represents “most” of the charges that were filed.

The Guild estimates that Tribune-Herald owner Stephens Media Group already has spent as much as $500,000 on attorneys to fight that losing legal battle, yet Dixon wrote, “Despite the language in the decision, this is just the first step in a very long process.”

On March 12, 2008, prior to the start of a new trial on NLRB charges of bad faith bargaining against the Tribune-Herald, in which a settlement with the Guild was reached, Dixon wrote, “Rather than devote our time and resources to litigation, let us devote our time and resources to continue the collective bargaining process in a sincere effort to reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.”

So which is it, Ted Dixon, negotiation or litigation?

You can read Judge McCarrick’s decision online here (PDF), on Guild bulletin boards at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, or you can get a copy by calling the Hawaii Newspaper Guild office in Hilo, 969-3088.