Robert Reich crosses union picket line

[VeryConfused]

Labor leaders claim that with 11,000 journalists having lost their jobs due to newsrooms cutbacks in the last three years, AOL-Huffington Post has risen to its stature by exploiting journalists desperate to establish names for themselves as writers, and thus willing to work for free in the hopes that they may someday find paid work. They say that the fact the Huffington Post doesn't pay its writers is an unfair business advantage that is sure to lower the standards of journalists.

In response to what labor leaders see as an exploitative situation, on March 17th, the Newspaper Guild and the National Writers Union both called for bloggers to refuse to blog at the Huffington Post and join an electronic picket line against the Huffington Post.

While support for the picket line has been strong, some progressives leaders who have worked on projects heavily funded by organized labor—such as Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, American Prospect Editor Robert Kuttner, Robert Creamer of Americans United for Change, and bloggers at the labor funded Campaign for America’s Future—have continued to blog at Huffington despite calls from union leaders to not blog there. (Full disclosure: I worked for the Campaign for America’s Future from 2009-2010, and blogged at Huffington Post until I was "fired" in late January).

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/11520/labor_funded_progressive_leaders_cross_picket_line_write_unpaid_for_hu/

[el_bryanto]

1. I'm not sure the situation is parallel

Is writing for the Huffington Post a job? Are people trying to sustain themselves by working for the Huffington post?

Bryant

[VeryConfused]

2. Respecting a union picket line goes a long way in showing

one's true colors. Merely bashing our President doesn't make one a good liberal. Supporting unions on the other hand....

[el_bryanto]

4. Unions aren't perfect; I generally think that Unions are great and necessary

for protecting the rights of those who don't have a lot of individual power. The writers at the Huffington Post, on the other hand, aren't powerless. Writing for the Huffington Post is a bit of a hobby; although there are probably some people who do it with the hope of getting their name out there so they can write a book or get a paying job.

Bryant

[VeryConfused]

5. My support for unions goes beyond just lip service

so we will have to agree to disagree

[el_bryanto]

9. Well I hope that high horse is comfortable

I support unions like I support politicians, when I agree with what they are doing.

Bryant

[VeryConfused]

14. So you only support people and organizations

when there is something in it for yourself?

[ellenfl]

3. apparently huffpo is their resume. not sure how to feel about this.

losing legitimate news people is disastrous but i'm not sure that non-news people blogging should be a problem. would we rather not hear those voices?

ellen fl

[VeryConfused]

6. Read the article

the free services HP uses hurts union shops.

[ellenfl]

18. huffpo is the only outlet? i thought this was a free enterprise

country.

ellen fl

[trumad]

7. I guess DU should be paying as well?

Same premise. Those who write and post their writings on DU know full well going in that they won't be paid. Same thing at Huff PO.

[VeryConfused]

17. I think there's a difference

people come to DU to post on a message forum while people go to HP to read the news.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. It ok, because he is "Speaking Truth to Power"

[VeryConfused]

13. Yup, tell people what they want to hear

and you can practically get away with murder.

[iwishiwas]

10. No solidarity. Shameful of Robert.

[VeryConfused]

12. Agreed, unions need our support now more than ever

[iwishiwas]

16. and from high-profile lefties. But that is not the case.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. I find it interesting that journalists groups are now claiming blogging as journalism

It is almost amusing considering where some of the court cases have gone.

The article also maligns the Creative Commons concept in the name of unionism. No small contradiction.

DU user Hoyt still publishes there...

[MilesColtrane]

15. After reading the article, as I understand it,...

Robert Reich does not write for the the Huffington Post.

He blogs on his own site and the Post takes those columns and reproduces them at times.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Bingo

I was just getting ready to post that.

[Cleita]

21. Thank you. The true story behind the story is often not the

first one you see.

[Cleita]

20. To be fair, most internet websites don't pay for

articles published. DU used to have a front page with articles and they specifically stated it was unpaid.