Federal Agency Cites Union-Tribune Co. for Unfair Labor Practices

In a significant development in the continuing bitter contract dispute between the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. and the San Diego Newspaper Guild, the National Labor Relations Board has authorized issuing a complaint against the newspaper company for engaging in unfair labor practices in its negotiations with the union, it was learned Wednesday.

An NLRB spokesman who requested anonymity said the complaint is based on about 25 separate charges filed by the Guild in August and December. The charges against the Union-Tribune involved a variety of issues ranging from serious allegations such as refusal to bargain in good faith to relatively trivial matters such as prohibiting Guild members from placing union buttons on tables in the company cafeteria, the spokesman said.

Violated Labor Laws

Union-Tribune officials have also been notified that they violated federal labor laws when they fired a Guild contract negotiator in November. Nancy Tetrault, a 10-year employee of the circulation department, was accused of stealing up to $1,000 from the company’s receipts.

However, at the time of Tetrault’s firing, Guild President Ed Jahn said, company officials failed to prove the charges against her. Jahn charged that Tetrault’s firing was staged by the company in an effort to intimidate Guild members and that she was targeted because she was an aggressive negotiator.

The NLRB spokesman declined to say whether his office determined that Tetrault was fired because of her union activities. “I can say that we looked into allegations that she was suspended and then discharged in part because of her union activities as a member of the Guild’s negotiating committee,” he said.

The Guild represents about 1,000 workers at the Union-Tribune, including reporters, librarians and employees in the circulation and advertising departments. Guild members have been working without a contract for almost a year.

“But overall, there is reasonable cause to believe that the NLRB Act has been violated,” said the NLRB spokesman. “The closest analogy to this would be an indictment. This sets the wheels in motion. The decision to authorize a complaint gives the Union-Tribune an opportunity to settle the case on a no-fault basis.”

Substantive Action

The NLRB’s action represents the first substantive action in the bitter contract negotiations between the Guild and the Union-Tribune. Guild officials have accused Publisher Helen Copley of attempting to kill the Guild and point to the hiring of the Nashville law firm of King & Ballow to represent both papers in the bargaining talks. King & Ballow has a reputation in labor circles for being anti-union and uncompromising in its negotiations.

If a satisfactory settlement is not reached in the case, NLRB officials can then issue the complaint, the spokesman said. He added that Union-Tribune officials are scheduled to meet in settlement talks with officials from the NLRB regional office in Los Angeles. Any settlement worked out would have to be approved by the Guild.

Guild officials reacted cautiously to news of the NLRB’s findings. Both sides said that they have not received a written report of the NLRB’s findings.

“We’re encouraged and glad that the NLRB . . . has seen the wisdom of what we’re saying and agreed to put this matter before the company,” Jahn said. “It puts the company on notice that the NLRB has found merit in the charges. . . . We want them to learn from this and not to harass Guild members who are engaged in legitimate Guild activity.”

Jahn also said he wants “the company to do right by” Tetrault. “We feel she was wronged and want to see her treated fairly,” he added.

Union-Tribune Editor-in-Chief Herbert Klein said he was reluctant to comment until NLRB officials issue a written report. However, he said that NLRB officials told the company “they have findings that are negative to both sides.”

“But we haven’t seen anything in writing. Anything that would be done or said at this time would be premature,” Klein said.