The NewsGuild of New York has taken more legal action against Reuters.
The guild filed an unfair labor practices charge against the news organization on Tuesday after management at the news organization threatened journalists and interfered with union actions. The Reuters Guild represents over 300 media workers and has been bargaining for a new contract since their previous one expired at the end of December.
Following Guild members picketing outside, they entered the newsroom and started up a silent march. They were approached by a security guard who ordered them to stop before pulling aside a union officer and claiming the employees were violating the company policy. The legal action is happening because Reuters management violated labor laws by interfering with the march.
“We have a right to protest management’s refusal to agree to a fair contract,” Scott DiSavino, unit chair of Reuters Guild and energy correspondent, said. “No matter what management tries to do to prevent us from fighting back, we will not stop until we get the contract we deserve.”
This is the second time the guild has taken action against Reuters in the last couple of months. In May, reports circulated that they let go of podcast producer Evan Jacoby who was hired as a six-month contract. He used the Reuters Teams chat to express concern to non-union coworkers about parent company’s Thomson Reuters contracts with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
An internal letter with employee signatures eventually made it to Reuters executives explaining discomfort with three contracts the parent company held with the DHS. Although Jacoby’s name was reportedly not on the letter, an investigation was opened and he was questioned over whether he had leaked the letter to the media. The investigation did not find anything that led to disciplining. Jacoby was on a six-month contract with Reuters and was told they wanted to move him to full-time but following the investigation he was told his contract was not being renewed. His last day was April 17.
“This is a clear-cut case of retaliation against Evan,” Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of NY, said at the time. “Every time one of our members faces a union-busting boss, we stand up and fight back. Reuters bosses don’t get a pass on union-busting behavior.”
Reuters did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
