[biztech-discussion] Re: Reuters Journalists Protest Offshoring, etc.
- From: Bruce Hartford <bruceh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: biztech-discussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, biztech-discussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:35:15 -0600
At 10:40 AM 1/19/05 -0500, Amy Rose wrote:
>I am not a journalist. What does it mean to "withold bylines and credits"?
>It sounds more like something the publishers would do. Please clarify!
Well, I suppose it's a symbolic gesture to convey to management that the
workers (journalists) are dissatisfied and -- to the degree it's
successfull -- united in their dissatisfaction. In that sense it's similar
to tactics that workplace-based unions might use such as "everyone wear a
union button on thursday." The actual symbolic action taken, -- withold
byline, wear a button, -- is not important in and of itself, but rather
derives its importantance from the fact the everyone (or most) of the
workers do it together.
If large numbers of the workers actually withold bylines, or wear buttons,
or whatever, that strengthens the hands of the union negotiators because it
clearly demonstrates that they actually are speaking for the great majority
of those they represent, and that management claims that the union has no
support are bogus. And, -- if successfull, -- it also makes that same point
to the individual workers themselves that others share their anger and will
take action. That breaks down the sense of "I'm one individual vs a giant
corporation." Of course, if only a few people take part in the action, it
has the reverse effect, dramatically illustrating that the workers are NOT
united. So intelligently led unions usually only call for these symbolic
actions after making damn sure it's going to be successfull.
--bruce
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