Philadelphia Daily Newspapers Move Closer to Strike
By Dan Wing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia could vote to strike next week if a new contract can't be reached with the owners of the Inquirer and Daily News before the current one expires on Sunday night.
The contract involves workers at the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News, and Philly.com.
In a post on the Local 10 web site, executive director Bill Ross told members to watch for an e-mail about a possible strike authorization vote next Wednesday or Thursday if talks over the next three days don't result in a new deal.
Ross says the biggest issues are seniority, annual increases in pay, and higher health care costs for what Ross calls "less coverage."
In response, company spokeswoman Amy Buckman says that a negotiating team is working with a mediator and the Guild to try to resolve those issues.