Newsroom employees at the Santa Barbara News-Press voted overwhelmingly today to be represented by the Graphics Communications Conference of the Teamsters Union.
The employees, engaged in a months-long public battle with News-Press owner and co-publisher Wendy P. McCaw over journalistic ethics and independence, voted 33-6 to join the union, according to a source who declined to be identified.
A spokesperson for the employees and the union was not immediately available for comment on the results.
The election was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
More than 20 news staff members at the paper have quit on been fired since early July. The journalists have charged that McCaw, who bought the newspaper five years ago, has meddled in newsroom operations.
McCaw and her allies have countered that many of the departed reporters and editors had allowed personal biases to enter into their stories, and were not sufficiently committed to covering local news.
“While we are very disappointed in the outcome of today’s election and the way this organizing campaign has been waged, we are pleased that this unpleasant labor dispute is moving towards a resolution,” McCaw said in a statement distributed by a spokeswoman.
“The focus of our attention remains on our responsibility to provide timely, balanced news coverage to our readers in Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities,” she concluded.
The results of the union electIon still must be certified by the NLRB. The next step would be for the two sides to enter negotiations on a contract.
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