The Chronicle Herald withholds bylines before possible work stoppage

The largest independent daily newspaper in Canada hastold staff it is removingreporter bylines "indefinitely," ahead of a possible lockout or strike, according to the paper's union.

The Chronicle Herald is negotiating a new collective agreementwith the Halifax Typographical Union, which represents 61 newsroom staff. Theunion says management wants tolay off a third of the newsroom.

Reporters and photographers withheld bylines earlier this week to protest a decision byHerald management to file a lockout noticebefore two final days of negotiations with a provincially appointed conciliator. A work stoppage could come as a soon as Jan. 23.

Management emailededitors and union staff lateTuesday afternoon, union vice president and Herald reporterFrancis Campbell said.

"It goes on to say,'To avoid confusion, bylines will be withheld from all stories and replaced with The Chronicle Herald'," Campbell said of the emailed memo.

Replacement workers

The Herald has been askingHalifax freelance journaliststo write for the paper during a lockout or strike and from home,without bylines.

Campbell said the union theory is if there is a lockout,replacement workers will not use bylines and the paper is looking to avoid confusion among its readers by pulling all bylines now.

• Listen to union vice president Francis Campbell discuss what management is proposing
• The Chronicle Herald contacts freelancers ahead of possible work stoppage

Reporters have the right to withhold bylines in the collective agreement, but Campbell arguesa permanent ban on bylines undercuts trust with the reader.

"If you're talking about journalistic accountability, well, there's your name, right on top of the story you've written. There's your name, right underneath the photo," Campbellsaid.

The agreement contains nothing about management withholding bylines during labour disputes or otherwise, he said.

The Chronicle Herald's management did not respond to an interview request from CBC News Wednesday.

'I've never seen this happen before'

Lead union negotiator DavidWilson saidthis is a sign of tough negotiations to come.

"I'm flabbergasted. I can't believe how childish this has gotten. I've never seen this happen before," Wilson said from Ottawa, where he's negotiating for another newspaper.

"They're simply doing this to intimidate the staff,just [to] say they really mean business this time."

Wilson saidthe union is looking at options, including filing a grievance.