Daily News Settles Employee Wage Dispute

Capping an eight-year labor dispute, the Daily News of Los Angeles has agreed to pay more than $890,000 in back wages and interest to about 170 editorial employees who complained they were unfairly denied merit raises. The newspaper reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, which negotiated on behalf of the reporters, photographers and other workers, said Darren Carroll, a spokesman for the Newspaper Guild. The Daily News must pay the funds by June 1. The agreement brings to an end a dispute that erupted when members of the Daily News unit of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild filed a complaint accusing the Woodland Hills-based newspaper of freezing their wages, including unilaterally discontinuing merit increases without bargaining.