Labor Dispute Continues at Washington Post

While the Washington Post is our hometown newspaper, it's also part of a larger corporate behemoth. And like many a corporate behemoth, this one is seeing some turmoil in the ranks.

In recent days, large ads have been appearing in Metro stations decrying an ongoing labor dispute between Post production workers -- the folks who actually put the paper together for delivery -- and Post management. The production workers, part of the Communications Workers of America, claim that they have worked for five years without any wage increases and without a fair contract. They also allege that Post management is demanding the right to draw funds from the workers' pension plan, regardless of the $324.5 million in profits the Washington Post Co. took in during 2006.

This is hardly anything new. Heck, we wrote about it almost three years ago. It's also not something that's limited to the Post -- in early 2006, workers at WJLA/NewsChannel 8 similarly accused their bosses of undermining worker rights in contract negotiations.

For its part, Post management responded in a recent article on the dispute by saying that they offered the workers a contract three years ago, only to be rebuffed. "The union has chosen a public relations campaign rather than negotiations at the bargaining table to address the pension issue, which has prevented mailroom employees from receiving wage increases and better retirement security," said Rima Calderon, the Senior Director for Communications at the Post Co.

Sounds like the usual he said, she said.

Pictures snapped by FredoAlvarez