The Register-Guard should be a leader
I join many others in urging Tony Baker and the management of The Register-Guard to bargain in good faith with the Eugene Newspaper Guild. Our hometown paper has been in a longtime standoff with its employees. On May 1, the Guild will have been waiting two years for a contract with The Register-Guard. Two years is a long time for working families.
Many Eugene residents take pride in being fortunate enough to have a locally owned newspaper, but what good is that if it is not worker-friendly? Not only has The Register-Guard refused to fairly negotiate with the Guild, but now also with the pressmen union. In addition, The Register-Guard must answer to charges of illegal actions from the National Labor Relations Board, and it has to be held accountable for bringing in a negotiator who brags about union bashing.
In its editorial pages, The Register-Guard advises the state of Oregon about what it must do to better assure Oregonians of adequate wages, yet a full half of the Guild job classifications would qualify a family of four for food stamps. I appreciate the continuous effort the Eugene Newspaper Guild has made for these families.
Come on, Register-Guard! Step up to that leadership position you have in our community.

Kitty Piercy

Eugene