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Newspaper workers attend 'somber' meeting on job future

By Minna Sugimoto - bio | email

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hundreds of employees at Hawaii's two largest newspapers gathered for what was described as a "somber" meeting Sunday night. With their jobs up in the air, workers met with union leaders to get the latest on the newspaper shakeup that was announced a little more than a week ago.

The Hawaii Newspaper Guild says the goals are to preserve jobs and to make sure labor contracts are in place when the parent company of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin takes over the Honolulu Advertiser.

About 300 reporters and support staff, represented by five local unions, attended the meeting at Washington Middle School. Labor leaders say their members remain very concerned about their future because of the anticipated merger of the competing dailies.

The Hawaii Newspaper Guild says it has hired lawyers in Washington DC to look at the proposed sale and has requested information from both papers.

"One of the things we've asked for from the company is a copy of the sales agreement," Wayne Cahill, the Guild's administrative officer, said. "We think we're entitled to that, especially as it pertains to any wages, hours and working conditions, perhaps severance pay that will be due and who's going to pay that."

Cahill says the DC-based lawyers are already seeing problems with the sale, which was said to be closing in about a month.

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