Advertiser Letter

Dear Respected Los Angeles Times Advertiser,


We, the presspersons of the Los Angeles Times are currently in negotiations with the company to bargain a first time contract with the newspaper. We chose to be represented by the Graphic Communications Conference / International Brotherhood of Teamsters (GCC/IBT).

Negotiations began on November 1ST 2007 with no significant progress and as of this date, we arrived at the conclusion that the LA Times management bargaining committee has absolutely no desire to negotiate fairly with its workers and our union.

We understand that all newspapers are currently struggling in this economic environment, but so are its workers. This newspaper continues to generate a profit, yet we gave concessions in the range of 1.8 million dollars last month. We do care about the LA Times and our ability to produce one of the finest newspapers in the world for both our subscribers and advertisers.

This letter is to advise you, our advertiser, that the GCC/IBT and its members may exercise their right under the National Labor Relations Act which includes the right to handbill in front of your establishment and ask your customers not to buy your product because you advertise in the LA Times.

This is certainly not what we would prefer to do, but this is a decision that the company is forcing us employees to consider making. We want the LA Times to respect us as workers and more importantly, recognize our contribution in providing your business advertising the quality printing you and your customers deserve.

The new owner wants nothing more than for us to continue to give up wages and benefits in an effort to increase corporate profits.

GCC/IBT
Bargaining Committee

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This is the letter sent to over 50 local car dealerships to inform them of our efforts to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement. Management has posted a "Negotiation Update" with this letter attached. As I stated in a previous post, our Representative Sonny Shannon ended our last negotiation session stating "we intend to increase our position at the bargaining table"
We have NOT asked our advertisers to take any form of action against the company.