NEW YORK (AP) -- Some Wall Street Journal reporters began withholding their bylines from stories in Wednesday editions, part of a planned two-day protest after contract negotiations soured with their employer, Dow Jones & Co.þþThe Independent Association of Publishers Employees, a union representing U.S. reporters at the Journal, called on its members Monday to withhold their bylines from stories in Wednesday and Thursday editions.þþBylines appeared on some stories Wednesday; overseas reporters for the Journal are not covered by the union and several managers also write regularly for the paper.þþUnion representative Tom Lauricella said earlier this week that the byline strike was called because the company had threatened to stop negotiating and impose a ``punitive'' contract.þþThe two sides have been negotiating for about a year. Talks have stalled primarily over wages and a request from the company that employees make contributions to health care costs.þþThe Journal said in a statement that reporters have no contractual right to hold back their names, but the newspaper complied ``in the interest of avoiding unnecessary controversy.''þþA bargaining session was scheduled for Friday with the help of a mediator whom both sides recently agreed to engage.þþ
Source: NY Times
