Here’s the update from Amelia:
March 13, 2020
Truthdig Publisher Shuts Out Editors and Writers Participating in Work Stoppage
Media contact: Amelia Pang (202)-677-8132
Email: ameliaspang@gmail.com
Friday marked the third day of work stoppage for 16 members of Truthdig’s editorial team – including senior editors, columnists and copy desk staff – to protest unfair labor conditions and attempts by Publisher Zuade Kaufman to remove Editor-in-Chief and co-owner Robert Scheer. Though such group action is protected according to the National Labor Relations Board’s guidelines for concerted activity, Kaufman had immediately shut participants out of all functional aspects of their work, including access to their Truthdig email accounts and access to the site itself. She had also not responded to the group’s good-faith request for negotiation.
These actions on the publisher’s part are not in keeping with Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act, which states it is an unfair labor practice for employers to “interfere with,” or take adverse action against, those engaged in protected concerted activity.
The publisher pulled a story posted on Truthdig Wednesday to explain to readers the reasons for the stoppage and to call for good-faith negotiations with management about work conditions and future steps toward unionizing. NLRB guidelines stem from Great Depression-era legislation created to ensure workers’ rights.
Good luck to Robert Scheer and all 16 striking board members!
Sad, but hardly a surprise. When persons whose main qualification would seem to be possession of large amounts of money are allowed to play an important role in so-called «progressive» media, such conflicts are to be expected. Sic transit, Truthdig….
Henri
rips face off punches fists into wall
Solidarity!
We ain’t using the Truthdig site for the name. Fuck them move to a new site name and let us know we’ll just go there instead.
good luck finding scabs as talented as you guys.
“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.”
– J. Lennon
Stay true, Fish. Peace.