News-Press faces additional charges over reporter firings

The National Labor Relations Board has added more charges against the Santa Barbara News-Press, alleging that publisher Wendy McCaw fired another round of employees in retaliation for union actions.

Six reporters were fired last month after hanging a banner that read “Cancel your newspaper today” from an overpass on the 101 Freeway.

Those firings, along with a seventh reporter let go in January, were illegal under federal laws that protect the rights of employees to engage in union activities, according to NLRB attorneys. In a letter made public Tuesday, NLRB attorney Brian Gee announced the additional filings.

The NLRB in December brought its initial complaint against Ampersand Publishing, the publisher of the News-Press, alleging that reporter Melinda Burns was fired for pro-union activities, among other charges.

That case is on hold while NLRB attorneys decide whether to consolidate all of the charges for a hearing before an administrative law judge or to pursue a rare injunction in federal court, said Barry Cappello, a News-Press attorney.

A so-called 10(j) injunction could prohibit Ampersand from taking action against other employees, typically until labor disputes are resolved, Cappello said.

Such filings are rare, and the News-Press would “vigorously defend” its position in court, he said.

Employees have been feuding with management since July, when the paper’s top editors quit in protest of what they said was McCaw’s meddling in editorial decisions.

Since then, more than 35 editors and reporters have quit or been fired. McCaw has said her paper is the victim of journalists intent on injecting personal bias into stories.

Employees at the 41,000-circulation daily voted 33 to 6 in September to form a union. McCaw challenged the legitimacy of the vote but was struck a blow this week by a judge’s ruling to affirm certification.

Cappello called the judge’s ruling a “recommendation,” and he said final certification would be decided in a hearing before the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.

Reporter Dawn Hobbs, one of those fired last month, said she was ready to take her job back should the courts order McCaw to reinstate the fired employees. McCaw could also be ordered to give back pay and other restitution.

“From the beginning, we said we are going to be back,” Hobbs said. “We want to go back to the beats we held when we were fired and to negotiate a contract that will be fair.”

catherine.saillant@latimes.com