The National Labor Relations Board will have a field investigator in Rockford this week to probe management actions at the Register Star.
The United Media Guild believes Register Star managers are harassing unit chair Max Gersh due to his union activities. It filed still another complaint with the NLRB, prompting a new investigation.
Once again the newspaper unfairly singled out Gersh for disciplinary action in the midst of negotiations for a first contract at the Register Star.
Earlier the NLRB found that the Register Star committed unfair labor practices relating to Gersh, the scheduling the photography department and the threatened outscourcing of all photography work.
The Register Star’s parent company, GateHouse Media, contested that ruling. The NLRB will hold a hearing on that matter in Peoria next month.
GateHouse Media is willing to spend thousands of dollars defending these allegations, but so far the company is unwilling to offer raises to employees working under perpetual wage freezes.