To avoid facing formal federal labor charges, Thomson Reuters has agreed to pay $7.6 million in lost pay to employees, according to the New York Newspaper Guild. The National Labor Relations Board had been considering charging the news organization with illegally cutting employee pay and imposing rules that illegally barred the union from bargaining over wages.
The tentative agreement, which was reached Friday and is subject to guild members’ approval, also addressed a dispute over an employee who was disciplined for criticizing Thomson Reuters via Twitter. The company agreed to include language in its social media policy that protects employee speech.
In addition to the $7.6 million payment, the agreement also provides for a 4.6 percent pay hike over three years, caps healthcare expenses, and prevents job reviews from being used for discipline.
