Opinion ID: 296745
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Nature and Origin of the Dispute

Text: 2 The Washington Post discharged Mrs. Winzola McLendon, one of its reporters, for submitting allegedly plagiarized material for publication in its 10 September 1967 issue. A grievance conference was held that same day, 19 October 1967, at which the Post representatives told the Guild that the reporter had been discharged for plagiarism which we consider gross misconduct. 3 As the Guild informed its own members, 4 The Guild demanded the employee's immediate reinstatement because the firing was precipitate and without grounds under the contract, which provides: No employee shall be discharged except for good and sufficient cause. 5 On the following day, 20 October 1967, the Guild wrote the American Arbitration Association, demanding arbitration and stating its position: 6 The alleged misconduct involved an unproved charge of plagiarism against Mrs. McLendon. The Guild maintains that the discharge was not for good and sufficient cause. 7 Pursuant to agreement, the Post wrote its discharged reporter, setting forth the grounds for its action, on 26 October 1967, stating: 8 You were discharged on October 19, 1967, for gross misconduct, in that in the preparation of the article on Prospect House published in the Washington Post on September 10, 1967, you committed the act of plagiarism. 9 The arbitrator rendered his award on 12 April 1968, finding: 10 The discharge of Mrs. Winzola McLendon was not for willful neglect of duty or gross misconduct, but it was for good and sufficient cause. 11