Xpress labor dispute resolved

Mountain Xpress has resolved a labor dispute with the National Labor Relations Board. After the Communications Workers of America filed charges during the last six months, the NLRB had brought several unfair labor practice complaints against the paper.

The complaints, which were resolved last week, involved the separation of employment of Max Cooper and David Forbes, an alleged statement by Xpress and three provisions of the company’s handbook, which the NLRB claimed to be unduly restrictive of employee rights.

The charge regarding David Forbes’ termination was dismissed by the NLRB after a full investigation in which it found insufficient evidence to conclude that Forbes was terminated because of his union or other protected activities. Xpress terminated Forbes in April for taking copyrighted material belonging to Xpress and self-publishing it without authorization, and for publishing disloyal and damaging comments about Xpress, the publisher and the managing editor while employed by Xpress.

To resolve issues surrounding Cooper’s separation from Xpress, the paper entered into a confidential monetary settlement with Cooper and the union in which none of parties admitted to any wrongdoing and the union agreed to withdraw its charges.

Xpress resolved the other allegations regarding its handbook and an alleged unlawful statement by agreeing to modify provisions in its handbook and disseminating an official notice to its employees detailing their rights under federal law and the company’s commitment to those rights.

“Affirming and clarifying worker rights is good policy,” Mountain Xpress Publisher Jeff Fobes said.

Fobes said he was pleased with the resolution, noting the settlements are in the best interest of everyone. He said the settlements have resolved the disputes without expensive and lengthy court battles. “The agreements offer a respectful outcome for everyone,” Fobes said.

“This settlement allows all parties to avoid the disruptive effects of a lengthy judicial process,” Fobes added. “We can now concentrate on our journalistic tasks.”

 

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

7 thoughts on “Xpress labor dispute resolved

  1. “The charge regarding David Forbes’ termination was dismissed ”
    “Fobes said he was pleased with the resolution”

    Lovely. I’m glad Forbes is pleased that the NLRB found his charge baseless. Does he get to keep his award for Best Local Journalist?

  2. indy499

    If Forbes couldn’t win at this union friendly NLRB, you know his case was without merit.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.