Sep 27, 2002

In a slam-dunk for members of The Newspaper Guild-CWA at The Providence Journal in Rhode Island, a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge has ruled in favor of the union on every major unfair labor practice charge brought against the company - 44 charges in all.

TNG-CWA Local 31041 has been fighting for a new contract since January 2000. "We're ecstatic," said Felice Freyer, member of the local's board. "This is a major vindication of our position. The Guild has been saying for years that the company has been acting unfairly and illegally and now an objective person has reviewed all the evidence, heard the company's point of view, and concluded that the Guild is right."

Among his rulings, Administrative Law Judge William C. Kocol ordered the Journal to pay Guild employees the same raises received by nonunion workers retroactive to Jan. 1, 2000; restore or replace the original health and dental plans and restore the cap on increases in employees' share of health insurance premiums, while reimbursing workers for the extra premiums they paid; restore a second floating holiday and the vacation policy as it existed before Jan. 1, 2000, and compensate workers for the lost leave time; and provide the Guild with a wealth of information that the union had requested in negotiations and was denied.

The Journal is scheduled to go on trial on 22 additional ULP changes on Oct. 21.