Friday, December 21, 2007

Speak no Evil, See no Evil, Hear no Evil......

When thinking about how the negotiations are going, or for that matter, not going, all I can think of is the image to your right. It may as well be these three on the other side of the table.

The Senior Vice President Of Operations has said more in the last few days than he has during the five negotiation sessions combined.

What are his objectives in doing so?

His intentions are as always, to divide and conquer. His hopes are to de-certify our union representation so that management can pickup where they left off, and continue to take our trade and us down along with the company.

He want's the bargaining unit to lose faith in our union representatives, the negotiating committee, and the collective bargaining process. His motives should be obvious and his mis-information ignored. Our representative Mike Huggins has accused the company and it's representatives of "SURFACE BARGAINING" and thats about all they have done, while claiming to be bargaining in good faith.

Russ stated in O.C. "They don't even have an attorney on their side" When necessary, our attorney and anyone else we need to be, will be seated on our side of the table.

I continue to wonder why any of our peers would continue to believe someone who has continually stated that we are overpaid and had said to an L.A. pressman, quote "I can't wait to get to the table to cut your wages". That is about the only truth to have come from his lips. He has went as far as to tell one of our top operators that if he didn't like it here, he could get a job at McDonalds. Another employee informed him that he was very stressed and actually considered suicide, to which he was told to find another job. Great sign of compassion for his subordinate. He didn't have to find another job, instead he was fired!

His statement to the O.C. Machinists calling us Pressroom employees "Buffoons" was insulting and shows what he really thinks of the pressroom employees who have worked for the L.A. Times for decades.

I had refrained from posting anything about Russ's statements until he chose to lie to our brothers and sisters by saying that the company offered the negotiating committee a Tribune contract, and we refused it. THAT IS A LIE!
Proposals are all that have been exchanged and the proposals they presented are not to be found in any Tribune contract nor would your committee ever consider bringing these ridiculous proposals back to the bargaining unit without expecting to be strung up in the parking lot.

Remember this story?

Aesop's Fables The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Once upon a time there was a very naughty shepherd-boy. He often fell asleep while he was watching his sheep. And he told lies. The villagers shook their heads and said, 'That boy will come to a bad end.'

One day, when he was feeling very bored, the boy decided to play a practical joke on the villagers. He ran down the hill. 'Wolf, wolf!' he cried. 'Help, come quickly. Wolf!' All the villagers seized their spears and ran to help him. But there was no wolf. 'He heard you,' the naughty boy lied, 'and ran away.'
When everyone had gone, he started to laugh.


Three weeks later, when he was feeling very bored indeed, he decided to play the same trick again. 'Wolf, wolf' he shouted. 'Help, come quickly. Wolf!' Most of the villagers hurried to help him. This time the boy laughed at them. 'Ha, ha. There wasn't a wolf,' he said. 'What a good joke!' The villagers were very angry.

' Lies are not jokes,' they said. Two days later the boy woke up suddenly. He had fallen asleep in the afternoon sun. What was that big dark animal coming towards his flock? Suddenly it seized a lamb. 'Wolf!' screamed the boy. 'Wolf. Help, come quickly. Wolf!'

But none of the villagers came to help him. He screamed again. The wolf heard him and licked its lips, 'I like lamb,' it thought, 'but shepherd-boy tastes much nicer.'
When the shepherd-boy didn't come home that night, some of the villagers went to look for him. They found a few bones.


How long will you keep listening to the shepard boy's lies??

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