On 15th Anniversary of ‘News-Press’ Meltdown, Parent Company Charged with Contempt
The National Labor Relations Board observed the 15th anniversary of the newsroom meltdown that shook the Santa Barbara News-Press to its foundation by charging its parent company — Ampersand Publishing Inc. — with contempt for failing to bargain in good faith with the union representing its editorial employees. More specifically, Nicole Lancia, the trial attorney representing the NLRB, accused the News-Press — owned by Wendy P. McCaw — of “engaging in dilatory tactics that frustrate and delay the bargaining process” from 2017 to 2020.
Based on the timeline provided in the contempt action, the News-Press began waging a campaign of delay and frustration in 2007, shortly after newsroom workers voted to be represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, but it would not be until 2017 when a federal court of appeals would officially order McCaw, Ampersand, and the News-Press to knock it…
