AP Workers Rally Against Cuts

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Dozens of journalists, editorial and technical workers rallied outside the Associated Press’ DC office on 13th Street NW at noon yesterday, chanting “You can’t spell cheap without AP,” and “We keep AP working!” Since their contract expired in November 2010, the workers – members of the News Media Guild-TNG/CWA – charge that AP management have attempted to make “drastic cuts” in retirement benefits and proposed below-inflation wage increases while continuing to hide what financial sacrifices, if any, managers are making. Because AP is a not-for-profit company that doesn’t have shareholders, “they don’t have to make trillions of dollars in profit in order to give us a fair contract,” AP reporter and News Media Guild representative Larry Margasak told Union City. And while workers “gave up a raise in 2008 when the economy was tanking,” added Margasak, AP is now offering “a negligible raise” and pension cuts. AP is relied on more than ever these days, Margasak says, as the rest of the news industry shrinks. “We want to allow (customers) to keep getting fair and impartial coverage but we just want to be compensated fairly; that’s how you attract and retain quality workers.” Click here to sign a petition asking management to “accept sensible proposals to protect the business AND the workers.” – report/photo by Adam Wright