Showdown between The Boston Globe and the Boston Newspaper Guild May be Avoided

A potential showdown between Boston Globe owner John Henry and the Boston Newspaper Guild may conclude in an agreement. In an email responding to a query by WGBH, Henry surprised many by stating that the Globe is now profitable.

Henry said in his December 19th response to WGBH, “We want the strongest possible newsroom in the future. . . . So ultimately I believe management and the guild will find common ground. . . .”

The Boston Business Journal had reported on December 17th that Henry had hired a union-busting law firm to deal with Guild demands, creating the prospect for an unresolvable conflict between the Globe and the Guild. The Guild represents about 300 Globe employees, including editorial writers. The BBJ pointed out that Henry’s primary goal was to cut costs so that the Globe could survive. Now that Henry has achieved his goal of making the Globe profitable and has made this public when doing so weakens his bargaining position, the union and Henry are in a much better position to find a way to resolve their differences. This is hopeful news for the Globe’s writers and readers, but the prospect remains that a strike will not be avoided.

John L. Hodge
Steering Committee Member
Boston Chapter of the National Writers Union