After four meetings with the company, there are no agreements for severance. I really can't go into detail here on the blog because management reads this blog more than the employees.
I will say that we are following the members instructions on how to proceed.
Meetings are scheduled to continue on February 25th and 26th.
We have close to a dozen pending grievances with approximately 6 of them ready to go to arbitration. Our Attorney, Adam Stern and the Company Attorney have begun the selection process from a list of arbitrators provided by the Federal Mediation Service after the company rejected a list of 7 arbitrators they requested we send them.
This could have been completed at our last meeting in a matter of minutes, and have selected an arbitrator, but the company is chosing a process that is only meant to cause delay.
The company feels they will prevail in these grievances and so do we; and that is why we have made the company fully aware of the fact that the membership, (including many of the departing 39) are willing to go to arbitration if their brothers and sisters being laid off aren't recognized equally to others being laid off. Solidarity is the key, and I'm am glad to see that managements actions are uniting our shops at an increasing rate.
In Solidarity,
Ronnie Pineda
President,
GCC/IBT Local140N
(Artwork by TheeArtist, Ronnie Pineda, Titled:"The Grind" Click to enlarge
4 comments:
Hey ronnie tell Russ & Co to get ready to bend
Over this time
D.B.
It’s the age old story. Management treats employees that exercise their rights under the law as less then those who act like sheep and let companies do what they want with them and in some cases this borderlines on abusive behavior by the managers. The company’s
is trying to make money. We get that! But all we want is the respect that goes along with being long time tradesmen and woman who help the company achieve their goals. A lot of companies found out that if they treat their employees fairly they will get a lot more out of them .What is wrong with the La Times?The same people who are driving the company into the ground are the same people that get bonuses.Does this make sense to you ?
You sound like part of the problem. "But all we want is the respect that goes along with being long time tradesmen and woman who help the company achieve their goals." Women are tradespeople too, or do you only have ONE working with you? That would be the only way A WOMAN would be listed. You yourself put the two genders in separate listings instead of just noting that women have been a fairly active part of the newspaper industry for a long time and THEY TOO deserve the same amount of respect. Don't list them separately, but list everyone as tradespeople. Egos are the major problem in resolving all disputes. Start there.
BTW - I am not management, just someone who really sees there are two sides to this issue and both sides seem to falter in this negotiation. I really lose all respect for the "tradespeople" when they think vulgar language is necessary to get their point across.
It's called blind side, and as frustrated as everyone gets, I think controlling the words used shows the best respect. I haven't seen too many management memo's come out with the language I read on these blogs by the pressmen. You definately do not speak for all of us when you can't control your temper!
Anonymous Sister,
On behalf of Brother Reney and myself, this is my reponse to your comments.
This Union respects all of it's members equally and have always acknowledged the contributions made by our Sisters to both the company and this Local.
There is no intent to deny equal respect by identifying pressmen and presswomen seperately. I think Brother Reney meant to scribe "women" in his post,not singularly "woman"
I view his post as further acknowledgement of your gender and indicates inclusion of the respect sought from management, not seperation from trade acknowledgement.
We have on this blog, referred to our Sisters in the trade as presswomen or everyone in our trade, men and women alike, as presspersons. I do like your suggested tradepersons and will use that particular monicker when applicable.
As far as the language, did you not attend the meetings with our Viagra, aka Sam Zell? His comments were far more degrading towards women than anything I, or any of the other contributors have ever written on this blog.
Respect is a two way street and it is obvious that neither this company, nor it's owner, has any respect for anyone in this company, man or woman! Remember Zell said we were all partners, that is until it was time to lay off his partners so he could afford to dish out bonuses to his henchmen in Chicago.
Here are a couple of questions to ponder, do you not get mad and lose your temper when you are constantly lied to and treated without the respect you feel you deserve? Aren't you angry that the Company Bosses are dividing 45.6 million dollars in bonuses among themselves at a time when long time employees are being laid off without severance? Come on, maybe its time you did get mad and direct your anger towards those that are trully responsible.
I think its vulgar to send employees with 30 years of service out the door without a penny of severance? For that fact, this company will never have my respect nor should they have yours.
I know I don't speak for everyone, but I do speak for a majority of the tradespeople in the pressroom.
As you stated, there are two sides and management enjoys the fact that they are not scrutinized at all, and the Union is blamed for every decision they make.
Know your enemy, it's not the Union, because YOU are the Union!
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