Newsday Staffers Vote Against Cablevision’s “Horrible and Unprecedented” Proposal

Earlier this month, employees at local Long Island paper Newsday were faced with a tough choice: either acquiesce to owner Cablevision‘s proposal of 10 percent pay cuts across the board (15 percent for union drivers), a longer work week and less time off or face a possible staff reduction come March when over 240 editorial positions are up for review. The proposal is part of Cablevision’s attempt to squeeze $8 million from the paper it acquired just a few years ago.

After Newsday‘s Union (the Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 406) voted on the matter, the Cablevision proposal has been shot down hard — 473 to 10. Says Local 406 president Michael O’Connor, “They’re very unhappy…The membership spoke, clearly.”

Newsday spokesperson Deidra Parrish Williams told FishbowlNY:

“The objective was to preserve as many jobs as possible and to ensure that Newsday remains a strong and viable company for its workforce, and for Long Island. These are important issues and they must be resolved. We are naturally disappointed by this outcome. We worked closely with the union to come up with a contract that is fair and equitable given the challenging state of our industry and our business.”

Read More: Newsday Union Members Reject “Horrible” Contract –Long Island Press

Previously: Cablevision Proposes Tough Concessions For Newsday Employees, Teamster President Throws Weight Behind Newsday Staffers

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