Teamsters Protest 'Journalistic Integrity' At Philadelphia Papers
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Teamsters who work at Philadelphia's two big newspapers claim management is unfairly meddling with their colleagues in the newsroom, and the potential sale of the company.
Teamsters Union Local 628 leader John Laigaie says the threats to the future of the Inquirer and Daily News just keep on coming:
"The new slogan is all the news that fits our interests. that's what it seems like it is, like it's a newspaper not only for sale, but that the contents are for sale."
He's referring to company managers who 'scrubbed' initial stories, from their own reporters, about a potential competing bid for the media company.
About 75 Teamsters, including drivers, security guards and maintenance workers handed out fliers that read 'no journalistic integrity - no jobs.'
Company spokesman Mark Block says the right to protest is a 1st amendment right:
"As a major newspaper, we certainly wouldn't have the right nor the desire to suppress that public activity in front of the building."
He says the future ownership of the company will be decided by the current owners and shareholders, and not current management, including CEO Greg Osberg.
