Take the Post Pledge

While the Washington Post brags about standing up for free speech, behind the scenes the Post is working hard to stifle the voices of more than 1450 Post workers; tell the Post you won't underwrite their anti-union actions with your subscription.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: I'm Taking the Post Pledge!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a Washington Post reader, I support your employees' efforts to reach a fair and timely contract settlement with The Post. I strongly urge you to immediately drop the anti-union membership provisions of your current contract proposal.

I pledge to cancel my subscription to The Post if and when the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild requests that I do so. As a subscriber to The Post, I want my subscription money to support the employees who make The Post the great newspaper I look forward to reading each morning.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
August 01, 2002

Background Information

While the Washington Post brags about a long record of "speaking truth to power" and standing up for free speech, behind the scenes the Post is working hard to stifle the voices of more than 1450 Post employees by undermining and attacking the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, the union that has protected Post workers rights since 1937.

Recently, the Post acted to restrict freedom of speech by attempting to prohibit distribution of Guild bulletins in work areas, warning Guild rank and file leaders not to send "mass" e-mails to co-workers concerning union activities, and having security guards confiscate workers' protest signs at the door.

Now the Post is insisting on removing the union security clause from the contract. The current clause allows for voluntary resignation from the Guild during annual window periods. But that's not enough for the Post. They insist on a totally open shop, with no window periods. Extolling Virginia's "right to work" law, the Post issued a statement on July 23rd that "...Post employees working in Virginia have this freedom of choice today as a matter of state law, and we believe that all Post employees - no matter whether they work in Virginia, the District or Maryland - should have this same right."

Tell the Post you won't underwrite their anti-union actions with your subscription. Fax the attached Pledge letting the Post know that -- when the Guild asks you to do so -- you are prepared to cancel your subscription until the Post reaches a fair settlement with the Newspaper Guild. DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION NOW; we sincerely hope that thousands of pledges like yours will help the Post see reason and settle the contract. Click here to fax your pledge.