P.M. BRIEFING : Daily News Reporters OK Strike

The union for Daily News reporters voted to authorize a strike after being offered a proposal that would cut benefits and extend the work week, while increasing wages.

The members of Local 3 of the Newspaper Guild voted 267 to 19 Tuesday to authorize their leaders to call a strike.

“Hopefully, this will let them know that the people who work at the News weren’t thrilled” with the contract proposal, said Larry Sutton, a reporter and member of the Guild negotiating committee.

The News has said it will advertise for replacement workers for any union that authorizes a strike and said it would do so for the Guild workers. On Monday, 2,000 people responded to ads for mailers jobs.

“The union leaders’ knee-jerk rejection of a 30% wage increase is a grave disservice to their members,” said John T. Sloan, the News’ vice president for human resources.

The Guild and nine other unions at the News are negotiating for new contracts. The old ones expire at midnight Friday, but all sides expect to continue talking beyond then.