Union leftists at the Wall Street Journal

In what is surely a remarkable statement, today, Wall Street Journal reporters, including Pulitzer Prize winners, have walked off the job in protest of the potential sale of Dow Jones Company to Rupert Murdoch. The Poynter Institute's online publication has their statement, which begins

Wall Street Journal reporters across the country chose not to show up to work this morning. We did so for two reasons. First, The Wall Street Journal's long tradition of independence, which has been the hallmark of our news coverage for decades, is threatened today. We, along with hundreds of other Dow Jones employees represented by the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees, want to demonstrate our conviction that the Journal’s editorial integrity depends on an owner committed to journalistic independence.

But within the statement is something remarkably ironic. The reporting staff at the nation's premier business newspaper, one that constantly marginalizes and attacks unions or, at best, ignores them, is concerned about their union (the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees) negotiated contract. It seems WSJ reporters don't think too kindly of the "free market" cutting back on their benefits:

Dow Jones currently is in contract negotiations with its primary union, seeking severe cutbacks in our health benefits and limits on our pay. It is beyond debate that the professionals who create The Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones publications every day deserve a fair contract that rewards their achievements. At a time when Dow Jones is finding the resources to award golden parachutes to 135 top executives, it should not be seeking to eviscerate employees’ health benefits and impose salary adjustments that amount to a pay cut.

Wow, what a bunch of lefty agitators. Who knew?