Union activists from the Associated Press in Europe and the United States, in partnership with the European Federation of Journalists have launched AP LINK: Associated Press Labour International NetworK.

The aim of the LINK is to organize AP workers to coordinate union and professional quality journalism issues on both sides of the Atlantic.

This is a first step towards creating a true international group that will advance professional and labour interests for all AP workers.

In the beginning of next year AP LINK will introduce an information network over the Internet.

This information network will be used as a discussion platform and to collect facts and compare working and professional conditions for AP workers.

The group is working on expanding to activists worldwide. It is planning a meeting in May 2006 to draw up a long-term strategy.

Already the group has identified a proposed “ethics” policy introduced by the AP as its top issue, since the policy seeks to impose unacceptable restrictions on staff.

The AP LINK also finds it extremely important to build on the strong union presence existing at the AP bureaus worldwide to organize more AP staff and freelancers.

STATEMENT ON MEXICAN AP EMPLOYEES

Adopted at Brussels, Belgium 20 November 2005
by the AP Labour International NetworK (AP LINK)

We, the representatives of AP employees in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and around the world are dismayed and astonished to learn of the recent dismissals of unionized AP employees in Mexico City and the company’s plan to eliminate its collective bargaining agreement with the Mexican journalists’ union Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa (SNRP).

We firmly declare our support for our colleagues in Mexico, who have had harmonious collective bargaining relationships with Associated Press for decades. We believe that all AP workers are entitled to decent treatment, and that respect for collective bargaining rights is an essential element of quality journalism. As the IFJ motto states, “There can be no press freedom if journalists exist in conditions of corruption, poverty, or fear.”

We call on The Associated Press to reverse the Mexican dismissals, to restore collective bargaining rights, and to reaffirm its commitment to working with its unionized workers worldwide for fair terms and conditions of employment.


AP LINK:

BARRY FITZPATRICK
National Union of Journalists
United Kingdom

HANNE JOURDAN
APTN Joint Unions Committee, BECTU
United Kingdom

BRICE VIARD
APTN Joint Unions Committee, BECTU
United Kingdom

TONY WINTON
News Media Guild, TNG-CWA, AFL-CIO
United States

KARL JENDRETZKY
News Media Guild (National Technology Committee)
United States

MICHAEL KLEHM
Deutscher Journalisten-Verband e.V.
Germany

ARNE KONIG
Swedish Union of Journalists
Sweden
Chair, European Federation of Journalists

RACHEL COHEN
International Federation of Journalists
Belgium

For more information, please contact Rachel Cohen at the IFJ: + 32 2 235 2205