Strike Ends at 1 of 2 Seattle Newspapers

Workers at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, one of the city’s two strike-hit newspapers, ended a 38-day strike by approving a new contract, but wrangling over who could return to work, and when, threatened resolution of the walkout at the Seattle Times. The P-I contract offers a smaller hourly wage increase than the guild had wanted but increases company contributions to health plans. The hang-up at the Times is over back-to-work provisions. The paper plans to lay off 10% of its 2,500 employees to try to recoup financial losses racked up during the strike. It wants to give preference to replacement workers, while the union wants job cuts to be determined by seniority.