Mountain Xpress reporter: Staffers are talking to union officials

Jason Sandford November 8, 2013

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

Mountain Xpress reporter David Forbes reports today via Facebook that he and some of his colleagues have begun talks with union organizers to address concerns about working conditions. The move comes amid a wave of recent staff resignations at the alternative news weekly.

Forbes:

So a number of us at Mountain Xpress are working with Communications Workers of America to organize and address concerns about our rights and working conditions. Xpress has been blessed with a good crew, past and present, and we hope these issues can be resolved so we can move forward in a way that’s fair to everyone.

That’s all I’ll say for now. Personally, I love Asheville and hope to continue telling this city’s stories for a long time to come.

About a dozen Xpress employees have departed over the past couple of months. None have spoken publicly about the exact reasons for leaving, but it’s clear that concerns center on working conditions. Unions exist in Asheville, but I don’t know all the rules and regulations surrounding them, nor do I know the implications of Xpressers talking to union organizers. I’ll be doing some research.

Forbes, on the other hand, has a solid working knowledge of North Carolina unions. He recently wrote several in-depth stories about concerns over working conditions at Sitel, an Asheville call-center.

More as I get it.

Background on Mountain Xpress departures here and here and here.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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8 Comments

Murphy November 13, 2013

Has anyone noticed how there are no comments on the Xpress online edition these days … none.

Reply
1. Big Al November 14, 2013
  
  You must have a computer problem. I saw over a dozen new posts just since yesterday. Granted, the overwhelming majority are on the movie section. I almost always go straight to the “comments” tab when I visit MountainX.com, as the comments are so much more interesting than the articles.
  
  Reply
  1. Don Mak November 19, 2013
    
    No, his computer is fine. There are almost no comments, and the ones that are are by the same 3 people.
    
    Reply
lance November 13, 2013

Unions ridicule vacations?

Reply
1. Big Al November 14, 2013
  
  I think he meant to say “ridiculous vacations”.
  
  Type slower, FDudeR.
  
  Reply
Stewart November 11, 2013

Thanks to unions, we have the eight-hour workday, lunch breaks, weekends, the minimum wage, safety standards in the workplace, health insurance and other benefits, an end to child labor, etc.

Reply
FDR November 10, 2013

Sounds like the Mountain Xpress will not be around much longer. I worked for a union at a newspaper and from my experience it doesn’t work in the print industry. Pay scales, seniority, ridicules vacations, and downright running out the clock everyday is the norm. In such a competitive print town all a union will do is shut down the Xpress. Sounds like someone is a little disgruntled and doesn’t know the first thing about owning or running a business.

If it were my pub and my employees unionized I would shut it down, fire everybody and start something else. And all Liberals don’t love unions, but that’s what Sarah Palin tells everyone.

Reply
Harry November 8, 2013

Fobes should welcome the union with open arms. Liberals love unions, so this is just natural progression.

Reply