Union Tries to Enlist Steinem in Criticism of Linda & John Henry: Ongoing Globe Contract Dispute
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Monday night, Gloria Steinem and Boston Globe CEO Linda Henry appeared on the same panel in Boston sponsored by WBRU. It became the latest backdrop in the battle between the Globe's ownership and the newspaper's union -- the Boston Newspaper Guild.
In an open letter to Gloria Steinem, Globe employees accused Globe ownership of failing to drop harmful proposals, and urged Steinem to show solidarity with the staff amid their ongoing labor dispute.
The event Steinem and Henry spoke at was titled, “Trailblazers: Women News Leaders From Katherine Graham to Today.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis is just the latest high-profile effort by the Guild to put pressure on the billionaire Henrys who among their many holdings own the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool, FC sports franchises.
The Guild won high-profile support over the past couple of months in their contract fight with the Henrys with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Jim McGovern, and Rep. Katherine Clark issued video statements of solidarity with workers who are facing management proposals that would outsource their jobs and move most reporting and editing out of New England.
“Despite witnessing our dedication and professionalism daily throughout this pandemic, likely to be the biggest crisis of our lives, our owners continue to fight us over basic workplace rights,” the letter states. Rebuking the Henrys and Globe execs, the letter cites the out-of-touch management style that has led Globe employees to work without a contract for almost 1,000 days.
In concert with the letter, Globe workers protested outside the WBUR event Monday night, calling out what they said is Pizzuti Henry's hypocrisy.
Boston Newspaper Guild members expressed concern over how “many Globe journalists have left the company in recent years, troubled by the owners’ attempts to strip away the heart and soul of our union,” while noting Steinem’s proud history.
“As a co-founder of MS. magazine and feminist icon, you’ve been a powerful advocate for women’s empowerment, for civil rights, and for union organization. We don’t need to explain to you why a fair contract is so important – it’s something you already know, as a founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women,” the letter states.
The letter is the latest in a series of public rebukes of Globe management, including a Friday night scorecard giveaway. Globe employees called out Henry, who also owns the Boston Red Sox, by handing out free scorecards at Fenway Park to publicize the negotiations.
Henrys Utilize one of Trump's Law Firms
In 2018, Pizzuti Henry hired Donald Trump’s campaign law firm Jones Day to manage contract negotiations, draining Globe resources of "hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal bills while pitching shortsighted, out-of-touch proposals which would erode job security and strip worker protections during contract negotiations," said the union.
After nearly three years of back-and-forth, Globe employees have begun laying the groundwork for a strike vote should management fail to resolve the dispute.
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