This is an open letter to the people at the Times, pro union, anti union, managers and anyone who cares to read it.

This is an actual account of something that recently happened at Newsday.
The company notified the union that our plate room was converting to CTP ( computer to plate) and the department was facing the loss of 11 jobs due to the new technology.
The union was concerned because they are all long term employees and our friends.
We understood that in this world things like this happen and its just a fact of life.
The people being downsized were going to receive severance packages and scheduled to be leaving in transition over a period over a few months.
We approached several managers at Newsday and asked if it was possible to allow people from other departments who were willing and wanted to leave instead could with the same severance package.Then we would replace them with people who were qualified and wanted to stay.
The primary concerns were that there would be no disruption of the operation and there would be no additional cost. Fair enough.
We agreed that Newsday would determine who was most qualified to replace the people who were leaving.
The union did the legwork before hand to make sure we had qualified people to apply for those positions.
The company made the effort to interview applicants and was gracious enough to be patient on what amounted to about a three week period.
In essence we had a shift of personnel involving about 20 people.
The end result was that anyone who wanted to remain could and the people who wanted to leave did. Everyone won.
I am not saying we will be inviting each other to barbeques this summer but rather that you can work together for a good cause when it really counts.

Lou

As usual all comments are welcome, even from the guy who keeps calling me Soprano.

Union Election Victory For L.A.Times Pressroom Employees

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!

Our first order of business is to mend the broken fences and repair the burned bridges between all in our Pressrooms that were the result of managements relentless anti-union campaign. The ONLY losers today were the union busters!

Management has always said that you have a voice and that was true, BUT NOW THEY HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT! This is what we have been denied for way too long and we deserve everything this victory affords us.

We have made history by bringing Union Representation back to our shops for the first time in 40 years and should never allow management to divide us again!

A democractic process will now give each and everyone of us a voice in EVERY decision made regarding our Trade and pressrooms in The L.A. Times.

There is alot of work ahead and alot of people to thank for all their personal sacrifices. This was a very stressful election for everyone and it is now behind us and we will learn and build together a UNION shop that we can all be proud of.

The Los Angeles Times used to set the bar and were the model for all newspapers to follow and it's time that we position ourselves to regain that position in our industry once again. We in the Pressroom have a responsibility and an opportunity to help do just that.

Thank you everyone.

Happy New Year to everyone! A New Year with health and prosperity for all!
From The Pineda Family

Some of you came out and met Mike and Lou from Newsday's Pressroom. Some of us were unable to due to the holidays, work or simply time. We anticipated this and made a DVD of their visit and have made them available to everyone. I encourage you to watch this DVD before you cast your vote. The message they deliver is powerful. They explain how they run their shop and how we can do the same.
Again I will ask each and everyone of you to take responsibility for what has happened over the past seven years with Tribune at the helm,and ask that you do the same for the future. We cannot and should not leave our future in the hands of people who have done nothing for us.
A sale is eminant and we must take action to protect ourselves and our families.