Region 16-Fort Worth Secures Settlement Requiring Dallas Morning News to Reimburse Increased Health Insurance Premium Costs to More than 100 Employees

On December 1, 2023, the Regional Director of Region 16-Fort Worth approved a settlement agreement between The Dallas Morning News, and the Media Guild of the West, TNG-CWA 39213, Communications Workers of America (Union), that resolved an unfair labor practice charge filed by the Union alleging a failure to bargain in good faith in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. The Dallas Morning News is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area since 1885 and is the second largest newspaper in Texas.

After Region 16 Regional Director Timothy L. Watson issued a Complaint and Notice of Hearing over The Dallas Morning News’s unilateral increase in employees’ health benefit premiums without bargaining with the Union, The Dallas Morning News, agreed to reimburse more than 100 employees for excess health insurance premium costs and out-of-pocket expenses that employees would not have incurred if not for the Dallas Morning News’s alleged unlawful unilateral changes. The change occurred while the parties were negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement after the Union was certified by the Region 16 Office to be the employees’ collective bargaining representative in October 2020. As part of the settlement, The Dallas Morning News also agreed to bargain in good faith with the Union over employees’ health insurance benefits.

“It is unlawful for employers to change employees’ wages, hours, or working conditions without first bargaining with the employees’ certified bargaining representative,” said Regional Director Watson. “The Employer’s unlawful change to the employees’ health insurance benefits occurred when the employees were bargaining for their first collective bargaining agreement, and employees are highly susceptible to unfair labor practices intended to undermine support for their bargaining representative at this stage of a collective bargaining relationship,” said Watson. “I am very proud of the staff in Region 16 for their successful efforts in protecting employee rights in this case,” Watson added.

Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employees, employers, and unions from unfair labor practices and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year. Region 16 serves areas in Arkansas and Texas from its Regional Office in Fort Worth and its Resident Offices in San Antonio and Houston.