Surprises we had over the years, everyone of them started as rumors, sometimes it hurts to remember...
1992 - 14 Management Heads (Publisher, President, VP's Editors etc.)
- Presses 12 Units
- 11 man Crews
- Facilities Department replaced by outside company
- Part-time Mailroom Employees Laid-off
1993 - Presses now 20 Units
- Crews reduced to 8 & 9 person crews
- Employee Buy-out
1994 - Company Rate Increase on wages terminated
1995 - Another Employee Buy-out
- Company layoffs! (Approximately 2,200 company wide)
- Beginning of Insurance Rate increases employees must contribute
- C.E.O. Mark H. Willes comes on board
1996 - 30 year cap put in place! Employees lose up to 25% of Retirement pay!
- Departments continue to reduce staffing
1997 - Cross Training is introduced. (We don't even get training in our own
department for those who need it.)
1998 - Employees suffer another insurance increase for Domestic Partner Benefits
- Another Buyout!
- Company layoffs! ( approximately 850 victims)
1999 - Retiree's Medical Benefits cut
2000 - Employees terminated after 1 year of LTD (Long Term Disability) instead of
2.5 years
- Short Term Disability increased to 8 day waiting period!
- More Layoffs! (32 in other Departments)
- Pressroom Waste incentive bonuse$ eliminated!
- Now 34 Management Heads (same titles as described above)
- C.E.O. Mark H. Willes leaves the company with reports of 64 to 90 Million
Dollars!
- Tribune takes control of Times Mirror!
- Medical departments at all plants closed and staff laid off.
2001 - 5th week of vacation eliminated! (Those with less than 15 years of full-time
service)
- Truck Drivers and Mechanics laid-off ( Ryder hires L.A.Times Drivers at lower
wages and benefits)
Voluntary Retirement Program offered. Another buyout!
2002 - Wage freeze!
- 1st color, 2nd color and Tension Specialist positions abolished
- Crews reduced to 5 person crews.
- Press cleaners budget reduced by 50%
2003 - Crews restructured to 5, 6, and 7 person crews
- Mailroom and Newsprint departments merge
2004 - 1% of workforce laid-off (Voluntary and in-voluntary separations)
- Pressroom cleaners budget reduced 50% once again
- presses now 23 units!
2005 - Presidents Day and Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday holidays eliminated.
Given 2 floating holidays instead, which you must use or forfeit them
- Sick days bank eliminated, All unused days are forfeited (TAKEN from you!)
- Unit 12 converted into a 4-high back to back tower! No additional staffing
for increase in printing couples.
- 4 day work schedule introduced (Work longer hours to achieve overtime)
- Eliminated Roller Crew Picks (management selected)
- Safety Bingo introduced! (Someone please tell me how this improves safety!)
- Premium overtime after 12 hours instead of 10.
- Prescription Safety eye-ware program discontinued
- Ninety Day probations implemented and enforced
(Demotions and Terminations take place.)
- Savings Plus Defined 401K Plan replaced with Tribune
401K which is a " Cash Balance Plan in disguise.
- Security Cameras and key card devices installed at facilities in
response to 9/11 (Even though some cameras face work areas and not the
doors!)
- Inquisition style review panel formed to intimidate workers from reporting
work related injuries. (GET AN ATTORNEY FOR ALL WORK RELATED INJURIES!)
2006- NORTHRIDGE PLANT CLOSED! 47 more pressroom
positions eliminated! (110 Positions total from all departments)
- Money for a New V.P. discovered! Welcome Russ Newton
- An additional $200 million dollars in cuts sought by Management.
2 comments:
What hurts Al is that people turned a blind eye to what was happening and did nothing .... even today some are still in denial ...
Luckily we have the union now. They have talked the talk for many years now they get a chance to walk the walk. With revenue and profits down badly dont expect much!
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