Wall Street Journal Staffers Protest Pay Cuts

Now that Rupert Murdoch is on his way to owning the Wall Street Journal, not only does he get to enjoy owning the successful and admired newspapers, he gets to feel the brunt of its personnel headaches too! The NY Times reports that signs from contract-less employees, including the phrase "Show Me The Money," have been plastered on WSJ office walls, only for someone to tear them down...and for someone else to put them back up and on and on again.

The signs were (posted and taken down and) posted when Murdoch visited the offices for the first time last week, and today, many WSJ staffers want a better deal from the new boss. FishbowlNY has the official protest memo from the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees. Here's an excerpt:

Reporters have been working without a contract since the end of January. They are increasingly angry because, at a time when Dow Jones is offering multi-million dollar pay packages and "golden parachutes" to executives, not to mention the $32 million 2007 pay package recently announced for Rupert Murdoch himself, Dow Jones is trying to more than double health premiums and hold down salaries in a way that will cut the real, inflation-adjusted take-home pay of many Dow Jones employees. It would cost Dow Jones roughly $5 million - over four years - to make employees whole, but for some reason it views that sum as too high.

Photograph of protesting WSJ employees outside The World Financial Center by dietrich on Flickr

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on September 10, 2007 1:10 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

Oscar Madison was a newspaper columnist. He could afford the pad. Felix Ungar was of two jobs: on Broadway [played by Art Carney of all people] and in the movies [played by Jack Lemmon] he was a news writer for CBS News. The Tony Randall TV version, well he was a commercial photographer.

guest

Oscar had a gambling problem and back alimony to pay. he couldn't afford that apartment on a sportswriter's salary.

guest

Oscar Madison did not NEED a roommate - he invited Felix to live with him as Felix was going through a difficult divorce and needed support. Plus, Oscar always had a little thing for Felix.

guest

how much did Oscar Madison make? not much if he needed a roommate. Murray Slaughter must of made a nice living, his pad was happening. I think it had a rumpus room.

guest

this is the beginning of the end for the integrity of the WSJ. They are trying to push out the current staffers and replace them with writers that follow the new vision of Murdoch and his WSJ.

guest

aren't they all freelance anyway? or do the freelancers make more? are they paid by the word?

how much did the sex and the city writer make for her weekly article or whatever.