LOS ANGELES (AP) - Six journalists have been fired from the Santa Barbara News-Press for placing a sign over a freeway overpass urging people to cancel their subscriptions, an attorney for the newspaper said. Three reporters were dismissed late Monday followed by another three on Tuesday, attorney Barry Cappello said. They helped hang a banner last Friday during morning rush hour that read "Cancel Your Newspaper Today" and "Protect Free Speech," Cappello said.
"They are trying to injure and disparage the company," Cappello said. "People who want to engage in conduct that harms the newspaper ... will not remain."
An unfair labor practice charge was filed Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of the six employees.
"When a union is involved in a labor dispute it has a right to put peaceful economic pressure on the employer similar to a strike," said Ira Gottleib, an attorney representing employees in the ongoing fight at the newspaper.
The dismissals bring the number of newsroom staffers who have resigned or been fired during the past seven months to 39, according to savethenewspress.com, a Web site that keeps tabs on developments at the News Press. The 41,000-circulation daily has said it employs about 50 people in its newsroom among a 206-person work force.
E-mail messages left with two of the fired reporters were not returned. The four others could not be reached for comment.
Newsroom employees voted overwhelmingly in September to join the union, but the paper and employees have been clashing since then over the legitimacy of the vote.
A hearing will be held next month on four other charges of unfair labor practices the union made against the newspaper. A judge also is considering whether to overturn the union election. Newspaper management has alleged unfair organizing tactics were used.
The turmoil at the newspaper began in July when several top editors quit and claimed publisher Wendy McCaw meddled in the newsroom. McCaw has countered that the former employees had injected their personal views into news coverage.
The News-Press, founded in 1855, was bought by Ampersand Publishing LLC in 2000 from The New York Times Co.
