The New York Times' Decision To Sell The Boston Globe: A Pressman's Perspective

News of the New York Times’ decision to sell the Boston Globe has stirred considerable angst among Globe employees.  While this is completely understandable, if there is one thing we have learned in this business it is that the only constant is change.  After all, when the New York Times made the decision to close the Globe’s satellite production facility in 2008, resulting in the loss of over 60 Pressmen we soldiered on.  And then, when the New York Times extracted millions of dollars in savings under the threat of closing the Globe, we survived.  Others in our great union have not been so lucky.

Declining circulation and advertising have taken its toll on our industry.  A proud industry that has investigated, informed, entertained and enlightened the public for years.  The newspaper was a legacy business that has provided a fine standard of living for generations of our families.  For those us of us that produce newspapers it has been a challenging era, and it certainly doesn’t appear to be getting any easier.  As I originally posted in July of 2011, the constriction in our craft has been nothing short of catastrophic.  The trade journal Newspaper and Technology maintains a stunning info graphic tracking these changes across the country. 

While it is understandable that newsrooms are the focus of attention when the public discusses newspaper cuts, keep in mind that there are thousands of pressmen and other craft unionists who have lost their trade.  A trade most of them studied and honed for 20, 30, or even 40 years.  Working weekends, holidays, and blizzards to manufacture a product that does not exist at 10 PM and get it on thousands of door steps by 6 AM.   We are the unseen faces of the newspaper, and for the most part, we like it that way.

In my sixteen years’ experience as the President of this proud local, I have had the privilege of representing some of the finest people I have ever known. I have found it incredibly painful to sit at the bargaining table and negotiate the elimination of, not simply a job, but a way of life for these fine craftsmen in their 30s, 40s and 50’s.  For most of them, this is the only work they have done for their entire working lives and 99% of them will never do it again.  Men and women from the Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Lynn Item, Salem News, Brockton Enterprise, Patriot Ledger, Woonsocket Call, Fall River Herald News, and more.

Despite the trouble and uncertainty, under the leadership of Publisher Chris Mayer, the Globe has been actively seeking and acquiring additional products for us to produce on our presses (Mayer assured employees at a meeting this morning that these efforts would continue).  The same can be said for the Providence Journal where our members also print numerous publications.  These products have saved jobs and provided millions of dollars to each paper’s bottom line.   

It is clear that the only constant for us is change.  Changes that have devastated so many newspaper employees across the country and change that, for the most part, is out of our control.  For those of us that remain, as Pressmen, the most important thing we can do for ourselves is do what we do best; produce multiple, high quality, timely products.     

*I began my newspaper career as a Plateboy, Paperhandler, and Pressman at the Boston Globe in 1978.

NLRB finds Santa Barbara newspaper committed multiple unfair labor practices.

After years of battle at Santa Barbara News-Press, the GCC/IBT won a major victory today when the National Labor Relations Board unanimously found that the publisher committed multiple unfair labor practices during a union organizing campaign by newsroom employees. The Board ordered Ampersand Publishing LLC to offer reinstatement to eight fired journalists and other among other remedies.

The GCC/IBT organizing campaign began in the summer of 2006 after 15 journalists resigned from the newspaper to protest what they claimed was interference with their reporting of the news. An election petition was filed in August of 2006 by GCC employees voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Union.

In addition to reinstatement, the Board ordered the News-Press to cease and desist from the illegal activity, rescind discriminatory evaluations of four union supporters; rescind suspension notices sent to eleven employees; and make all discriminated employees whole with backpay awards.

In a highly unusual step, Chairman Liebman and Member Becker also ordered that a senior management official read, or be present at the reading of, the complete NLRB notice to be posted. Read the full decision here.

7 Hour Shift Arbitration Decision

Tribune Co. seeks approval for modified bonus plan

Chicago Tribune parent reports better results
By Michael Oneal

Tribune staff reporter
5:39 PM CST, January 20, 2010

Tribune Co. on Wednesday said it had generated a much better-than-expected $500 million in cash flow during 2009 and sought to make it easier for a bankruptcy judge to bless $45.6 million in bonuses tied to the results for 720 managers at the company.

In July, Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, petitioned the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for permission to pay from $21.5 to around $67 million in bonuses through three separate performance-based plans.

The biggest was a continuation of Tribune Co.'s normal incentive bonus plan for both top and middle managers. The other two would reward a group of around 20 top managers for either navigating the bankruptcy process or "transforming" their business units.

A group of company unions objected to the request at a September court hearing, calling the bonuses top-heavy and too easy to earn. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey has yet to rule as he prepares a formal opinion on the matter. Tribune Co. had originally requested that Carey rule on all three plans together. But on Wednesday, the company said it would be willing to have the court "bifurcate" its ruling so that the larger group of more than 700 managers could be rewarded in February for their 2009 performance.

Any payout would be based on how much cash flow the company generated relative to plan in 2009. The maximum payout would require a result 200 percent more than originally predicted.

In a separate note to employees Wednesday, Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels said that the company generated almost $500 million in cash flow during the year "thanks to a stronger than expected performance by both the Broadcasting and Publishing Groups in the fourth quarter." The results owe much to cost cutting efforts but Michaels noted that lower newsprint costs and a slightly better economy helped.

A spokesman said that level of cash flow exceeded the 200 percent threshold, meaning bonuses for the group of 720 would come in at a maximum of $45.6 million if approved. If the judge also approved the other two plans, they would pay out around $21 million to a much smaller group.
Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune
======================================================================================
How about asking the Judge if some of this money can be used to provide severance for the soon to be laid-off 39 pressroom employees? They've made so many sacrifices for this newspaper, working nights, weekends and holidays away from their families for decades: while the bonus recipients celebrated with their children and relatives. 

The Company's unwillingness to pay severance is not an economic matter:  as a matter of fact, it has nothing to do with money: it is PERVERTED POWER and OBVIOUS PUNISHMENT for Organizing our shops.

Ask management why they feel these individuals don't deserve to be treated as fairly as the other production departments. The Union submitted a separation package proposal that many, if not all of you would agree to be fair and more than deserving. The Company apparently has the money to fund our proposal without having to give anything in return, hell, they've already taken everything  and never given anything in return, why should we continue to suffer and management rewarded? SPEAK OUT AGAINST THIS TO MANAGEMENT, DEMAND EQUALITY AND FAIRNESS!

STOP THE PUNISHMENT, PAY THE SEVERANCE!

Recent Severance Negotiations Update

On February 7, 2009, members of GCC/IBT Local 140-N held a Special Meeting to discuss Severance Negotiations with L.A. Times representatives which took place on February 4, 5 and 6, specifically the company's severance package offer.

As we discussed at our Special Union Meeting, and in compliance with the wishes of the membership, the negotiation committee rejected the company's proposal containing two severance options. The second option contained language in which the company sought to have any grievances and board charges withdrawn in order to recieve an additional 4 weeks of severance.

We did make two seperate proposals (below) which sought at least what the non bargaining unit employees are planned to recieve. In addition to equal severance, we proposed recall rights for 24 months in the event that the company enters into any Joint Operating Agreements (JOA's) or Merger Agreements.

In summary, the company's position was not to respond to either proposal we presented and went on to say that they felt their proposal was fair and there was only room for them to "tweak" it slightly.

We twice requested Mediation from the The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which is part of the Federal Government to help mediate the negotiations to which the company refused both times.

When asked about why they weren't willing to treat all of their employees fairly, their response was, they felt that they were.

The following are the two proposals we gave the company on Wednesday.

2009 Severance Proposal 2-25

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Other gcc/ibt l.a. times

Last Proposal by the Union.

La Times Union Proposal 2-25-09

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Philosophy gcc/ibt l.a. times

We are exploring our options and next move.

President
Pineda

Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club: LA Times Response To Pressman's Protest

Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club: LA Times Response To Pressman's Protest#links

The Times' Vice President of Communications Nancy Sullivan
Re; Monday's union protest:

Unfortunately, like other newspaper companies, the Los Angeles Times is not immune from the pressures of this difficult economy. Consequently, tough decisions were made that included reducing its workforce across the entire company, including the pressroom. From the onset, The Times has respected the pressmen's right to organize. In fact, despite this very difficult economy The Times and the union reached a 3-year contract agreement in December 2008 that was ratified by the employees. The company's actions have been completely in compliance with the contract.
(end)

GCC/IBTLocal 140-N
President's Response

In these economic times, is it fair to offer pressroom employees a severance package substantially less than non-union employees just because we organized and ratified a contract? The contract states that the company can fashion severance for our members, so why is it being fashioned far less than ALL other employees being laid off? Because were union? The Times could give our members the same as the non-union employees, actually, they could give more if they wanted to! How does that respect our rights to organize Nancy?

The Los Angeles Times has NEVER respected our right to organize! And it is obvious by the numerous changes our shops have undergone since ratification. Prior to organizing, the company had the right to make these same exact changes to our operation, but they didn't, and there is only one reason why they did after ratification. The contract didn't change anything because they had the right to do these things all along, but they didn't and they don't have to now. These are all calculated moves by the company and another example of how the company continues to employ union busting techniques and coerces employees into blaming the union. How does that respect our rights Nancy?

We were subjected to union-busting throughout the organizing process. The Times has ALWAYS hired union busters to help trample all over our right to organize! Our former SVP admitted in an anti-union meeting that "third party Attorneys were used, all the while referring to the Teamsters as a third party. The services they provide are used to dissuade employees from voting in favor of representation. On company time, we were corralled into captive audience meetings and continuously given anti-union propaganda literature that was intended to induce fear, focusing on strikes, violence and intimidation. How does that respect our rights Nancy?

We have endured union-busting tactics during negotiations as well. Attempts to change working conditions, refusing to assist employees in need by telling them, "go talk to the union" and also by teaching supervision union busting techniques to dissuade employees from organizing taught to them in union busting classes by union-busting Attorneys. How does that respect our rights Nancy?

Management has exploited the contract language with the intent of making employees regret organizing our shops. Their goal is to cause pressroom employees to blame the union for all that is now wrong in our shops. We did not make or negotiate these changes nor would we agree to the changes, for they were not specifically discussed in negotiations. Alot was not discussed in negotiations when management abruptly presented their "Best Offer" The bankruptcy notification had a major influence in many voters decision to ratify. Had we not ratified this contract, the bankruptcy would have allowed the company to rape us further with absolutely no defense. How does that respect our rights Nancy?

The company is using their management rights in an abusive fashion and continually says "You wanted a contract". How is that respecting our rights Nancy?

The 63 employees targeted for layoff have approximately 1510 combined years of "Company"service with an average of 23.92 years per employee and almost 1000 years of pressroom service, with an average of 15.46 years!
(statistics courtesy of Operator Steve Grant)

With all these years of service, the company chooses to ignore the contributions we have made to the production of this newspaper. We spent practically every Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July and many other holidays and family events spanning 3 decades to get a quality newspaper in the hands of subscribers and advertisers yet we don't deserve a comparable severance package. How does that respect our rights Nancy?

The Times should be embarrassed for ignoring that dedication and commitment to this company? Has the company really respected our right to organize? NO Nancy, because we chose to organize and won. That did not sit well with Newton and Walker and they have both taken it personal. In thirty years at the Times, I have never worked for such arrogant, abusive, and spiteful individuals. It is impossible for these two to views their subordinates as human beings because they don't respect us as human beings. Cruelty seems to be included in their daily diet based on the way they choose to interact with their union employees.

In these economic times more workers are seeking representation to protect their interest in the work place and to insure fair and equal treatment from their employers.
This company is historically known for it's anti-union sentiment and it continues to exhibit that philosophy in both our shops and in severance negotiations. We can all benefit from a cohesive labor/management relationship, but management chooses to operate from a position of power, rather that one of mutual interest. That ignorant position is making it even more of a stressful, hostile and extremely unsafe work environment.

What is the reason we are being offered less severance? The contract doesn't say they can't give equal severance to our members. All laid off employees deserve equivalent severance regardless of whether their union or not. We have to go through protracted negotiations for equal severance, simply because we organized and the company does not, nor have they ever respected our rights, Nancy.

Management, supervision and you, as spokesperson can deny all you want, but the fact is we are being punished for exercising our federally protected right to form a union.
Retaliation began immediately upon ratification and it will continue as long as Publisher Hartenstein fails to investigate and correct the unfair treatment of our members.

Stop the retaliation and punishment and resolve our disputes in a harmonious fashion as we agreed to in the contract and we won't be compelled to file grievances or board charges. Management wants us to abide by the contract, yet when they don't.
How does that respect our rights Nancy?

Your sterile response should be ignored and I'm sure it already has been, because you personally have absolutely no idea what we have gone through over the last decade, specifically the last 4 years in order to succeed in organizing. Nor do you know or understand what we continue to go through at the hands of SVP Newton and L.A. pressroom Superintendent Walker, so in my opinion, you are far from qualified to respond to our Rally.

End Of Rant!

In Solidarity,
President Pineda
GCC/IBT Local 140-N

Union Rally Monday February 23, 2009

A press release was sent notifying the media about our Union Rally to be held on Monday February 23, 2009 to expose the anti-union treatment our bargaining unit has been subjected to at the hands of management and supervision since ratification of the collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2008.

Rally information:
Date: Monday February 23, 2009
Time: 11:00 am
Location: L.A. Times Building Downtown, 1st and Spring

All members not working are expected to attend!

Must know information for Bargaining unit employees:
If scheduled to work, DO NOT miss work to participate.
No signs, we're not picketing.
No work slowdowns in support of Rally.
No work stoppage in support of Rally.

Ronnie Pineda
President, GCC/IBT Local 140-N

The Hatchet Will Swing 63 Times

Todays news was far worse than expected when we learned that 63 pressroom jobs are being eliminated from our shops in accordance with management's cost reduction plan. In less than a year, that amounts to just under 100 jobs lost in our pressrooms alone. The total savings for the company from the pressrooms will be close to 4 million dollars a year! Close to 6 million a year when you include the last round of cuts less than a year ago!

Management has no interest in discussing any alternative measures to reduce costs which could save jobs in the pressrooms and bases the cuts on the economy, the overall newspaper industry decline and the restructuring and new design of the future paper.

These cuts will result in the elimination of 10 press crews in one fell swoop. There will be reductions in the roller crew size, reelroom co-ordinator and trainer positions in managements plans as well. According to Russ, these positions at each plant will consist of, 4 roller crew positions, 3 coordinator positions and 2 trainers, again, per plant.

These layoffs are scheduled to take place on March 4, 2009 not March 15 as mentioned in Russ' letter in which he states "no later than March 15th"

Management gave the bargaining committee copies of the pressroom schedules they intend to implement on March 2, 09. and expect to begin picking crews ( on Monday, Feb 9, 09) based on the provided schedule. We did not receive actual crew schedules at this time.(the schedule does contain crew numbers and hours, not pick positions or product) The crew picking process will remain as it has always been conducted and was confirmed by Russ when asked.

We will meet again tomorrow at noon to discuss severance, and what the company intends to fashion for our shops. We again believe that any less than what is given to non-union employees would be unfair.

Revised 2/5/09-revisions in red

Ronnie Pineda

President

GCC/IBT

Local 140-N

Los Angeles Times GCC/IBT Represented Pressroom Employees Ratify CBA 140 YES to 57 NO

Today's historic Pressroom Contract Ratification results came on the heels of another historic announcement in which it was reported that Tribune Corporation, today, filed for Bankruptcy Protection.

When it was first announced in 2006 that the Tribune Corporation was being forced to break up the company or sell it, there was no other choice than to seek whatever protections we could for our shops. Breaking up the company or selling it was not enough to instill fear as to our future and the uncertainty that goes along with it, Tribune in the same year sought to siphon another 200 million dollars from the L.A. Times Operation. It was quickly discovered that Tribune was spending almost that much for a baseball player for their beloved Cubbies . Tribune's executives and their greed has always meant only one thing, CUTS. The wounds that were caused by the closure of our Northridge shop had not yet healed over the fact that we lost another 47 brothers and sisters at that time. We could not sit idle while Tribune was going try to milk their Los Angeles "Cash Cow" again.

The events of 2006 were apparently enough to convince a hand full of individuals known to be opposed to Union Representation to approach Brother Dave Rascon and myself and asked us to launch another organizing drive. We were reluctant to risk everything once again, and to ask other brothers to do the same was not an easy decision to ask them to make, but fortunately for all of us, they had no reservations about taking those risks and our organizing committee was formed.

The Bankruptcy announcement today should be solid evidence that we did the right thing, at the right time. I am proud of everyone in our shops for ratifying our agreement today and want to say that since the day we won our election, we became part of the Teamster brotherhood and we need to embrace unity and build the solidarity necessary to strenghten our position no matter who owns us going forward.

We have a lot of work ahead, and I don't expect management to make it easy, so please be diligent in your performance and do not allow complacency to set in. Always follow all safety protocols and be conscious of your environment. Watch out for one another.

There are numerous people that should, and need to be thanked for their contribution. I will begin by thanking our brothers on the organizing committee starting with David Rascon, who has been fighting for us, and by my side from the day I met him, Dan Beruman, and his contribution during the organizing campaign, Gary Bunch, Richard Ontiveros, Jorge Ayala and Charlie Laird for their perseverance and efforts in organizing our Orange County shop, which historically was anti-union. Great job to all of you brothers for getting us to the table! Much respect and gratitude.

Our negotiation committee was always in total unity and it was my honor to sit at the table with our brothers that were elected to represent us in bargaining, David Rascon, Keith Denson, Chuck Reney, Lance Farrar, Charlie Laird, Kerry McCluskey and Mike Bassett, all of you showed me what true solidarity is and I know that all of you (with the exception of Mike and Kerry who are gone, but will never be forgotton)will continue to display the courage that I witnessed in negotiations and is needed to build a strong, unified local.

There was one individual that needs mention and that person is Victor Banuelos, Vic was always ready and willing to do whatever was necessary without hesitation and his contribution was beyond commendable. Thanks for the commitment Brother Vic, I wish everyone learns to go the extra mile as you always have.

Ed Padgett can be thanked for his blog and the avenue it provided in getting the message out and the forum to express one's opinions. Brother Berry Tillage I want to personally thank you for being my extended conscious and keeping me grounded firmly so that I could serve our bargaining unit with integrity and humility.

Sincere appreciation is not enough to thank our Union Officials beginning with GCC/IBT President/ Teamster Vice President, George Tedeschi, for having the faith in us to give us one more opportunity to finally get it right, we are all deeply indebted to you Sir. Secondly, GCC/IBT Secretary Treasurer, Robert Lacey, our thanks for devoting the resources necessary to achieve success, I know you went through quite a few pens signing checks for our campaigns.

Next, our International Representatives, beginning with Mike Huggins, I have the utmost respect for the work he does traversing this country to represent the working men and women in our trade, especially during these tough times. I will always be grateful for all that you have taught me during these negotiations, and look forward to having you represent other L.A. Times employees who may seek a CBA for their departments.
International Representative Sonny Shannon, who was originally assigned to our negotiations by President Tedeschi, was tenacious enough to beat throat cancer, and come on board midway through negotiations, a true pressman who will do anything for another pressman, Thanks for everything you've done for us at the table and everything you will be doing to help us get our local up and running successfully.

Lead Organizer Marty Keegan and I have known each other for almost ten years and he is the best at what he does, Marty knows how much he means to this bargaining unit, and visa versa, I've thanked you Marty, more times than I can remember for all that you have taught me over the years, apparently some of it did stick. This has been an amazing journey my long time brother, we've finally reached our destination. Finally, Organizer, Jorge (George) Perez, Muchas Gracias por todo hermano! Tu Saves!

During our Organizing drive, Attorney Ira (Buddy) Gottlieb filed several ULP's on the bargaining unit's behalf in which settlements were reached between the NLRB and the company that resulted in resolution to our charges. During the negotiations, Attorney's Adam Stern and Dave Meyers supplied the legal muscle we needed when things got rough. Thanks you gentlemen, I'm sure we will work together again in the future when things get rough again, which it most likely will.

Lest we forget the contribution and solidarity we received from our brothers and sisters on Long Island at NewsDay. You are no longer part of the Tribune family (lucky all of you) but every one of you will always remain part of the Los Angeles Times pressroom family. We can learn plenty from your Local 406's example and will strive for the unity that was bestowed upon our shop from yours. Thank you President Grabhorn for everything you and your Local has done for us, we are deeply grateful. Special thanks to Business Agent Mike Laspina and Chapel Chairman, Lou Nicosia for coming to Los Angeles during our organizing campaign to teach us what working under a union contract really means. We could sure use your help setting up our Local!

Our Thanks to President Doug Brown, the executive board and all of the members of Local 404 in Monrovia. Local 404 has for over a decade been there for our members when we needed them and our relationship with Local 404 will only serve to strengthen both of our locals and enable us to become a stronger voice for our trade and our members here on the west coast.

None of the people I just thanked would have been able to do what they've done for all of us here at the Los Angeles Times if it were not for ALL of the GCC/IBT Brothers and Sisters across the country, who through their dues, made the resources available for us to complete our mission.There are no words that can be found to express our gratitude, we could never have done it without every single one of you and your generosity. We are honored to be your Teamster brothers and sisters.

Next step to be announced soon.

In Solidarity!
Ronnie Pineda

Almost There! Negotiations Complete.

Negotiations have concluded and an over all Tentative Agreement was reached. We are scheduling a Ratification Meeting (DATE AND TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED) in Commerce at the Commerce Casino Crown Plaza Hotel where negotiations have been held. Meeting room and meeting time information will be made available and posted in the shops and here within the next couple of days.

This will take place within the next couple of weeks so it is imperative that everyone makes the necessary arrangements to insure their attendance at this important meeting.

Everyone should know by now that only those bargaining unit brothers and sisters that attend the ratification meeting may vote on the Overall Tentative Agreement (contract) as there is no such thing as an absentee ballot voting system in union contract ratification votes. That means that a majority of ONLY those that vote will determine whether or not the contract will be ratified.

I cannot stress the importance of attending this meeting and hope that everyone possible takes this opportunity to exercise their democratic right that we have only experienced here at The Times during organizing campaigns.

All of the details of the tentative agreements will be disclosed at the ratification meeting and The International and our Representatives have asked that we refrain from presenting the information at this time. It has been their experience that by the time the ratification meetings take place, a lot of misinformation and misinterpretations flourish among the bargaining unit spreading through the shops and fails to give an accurate depiction of the actual agreements. The bargaining committee agrees and asks for your patience once again. This will guarantee everyone the facts and prevent unnecessary rumors which we all know exist and have had to disseminate throughout this process. Please respect the International's request and allow the negotiation committee to fulfill this request by with holding any and all questions until the ratification meeting. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

The Negotiating Committee appreciates all the support and patience we have received from our Brothers and Sisters in both shops and thank all of you for the honor of representing our Los Angeles Times Pressroom Bargaining Unit in these historic Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations.

In Solidarity,
Brother Ronnie

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Today's negotiations were mentally exhausting and frustrating to say the least. We received the company's response to our 10/30/08 economic proposal and were astonished to hear them reject practically every word when most everything we proposed wasn't a far leap from where we are currently in regards to wages, benefits and retirement. The company, as expected countered and we received the company's first economic proposal. My initial reaction was that they might as well had printed it on toilet paper because that is what it appropriately should be used for.

We knew that there was going to be cost containment language in their initial proposals but it was insulting to the committee and our representatives to see what they came to the table offering our bargaining unit. For them to even begin where they did, was a slap in the face to all who print this newspaper. We had earlier offered, in extremely good faith and with extreme flexibility, language that enables the company to reap long term savings going forward with the expectation of a fair wage increase and an affordable benefits package.

This was a bit of a surprise considering how urgent they've seemed to be to get a contract. We understand that it was their first proposal, and shot back our counter proposal with what we on the committee believed to be fair and pretty much in line with where we are now. It did include a sufficient annual wage increase, and the opportunity to actually generate retirement savings in a retirement vehicle far superior to the retirement plan non-union employees have to accept.

Again, the majority of our counter proposal was rejected and the temperature began to rise. The movement displayed by the opposition in their counter proposal was so insignificant we saw no reason to drastically revise our 2nd counter proposal. We know what the bargaining unit will accept or reject when and if we get a contract to consider for ratification and will not agree to any less than what we had when we walked into negotiations one year ago.

This is just the beginning of what we expected to be difficult bargaining considering both the newspaper industry as a whole, and the economy. The company did state that there is room for them to move, but just how much remains to be seen. This is exactly why we need to strengthen our solidarity and focus on a unified body that will withstand any efforts by management to seek more from us for less. It is no secret that they indeed will be expecting more from us for the fact that my very credible sources tell me that the company is trying to weasel out of their contract with the pressroom cleaners (Network City). A thirty day notice was given to Network City in which the company seeks to terminate their contract. I was also informed that there are two years remaining on that contract. So who do all of you think will inherit those responsibilities?

Now let's discuss the obvious possibility of becoming the "printing hub" that management has spoken of and we have read about in our own paper. The "JOA" joint operating agreement" with The Orange County Register we have been hearing about and was reported in the Orange County Business Journal will no doubt result in our printing of this product. Now throw in the possibility of printing the WSJ, The San Diego Union Tribune and any other potential publication Zell is eyeballing and we can breath easier for the foreseeable near future.

This is what the company hopes to to do and we as a union should want the same and aspired to achieve this goal hand in hand. We will have the responsibility of producing these alternative products with the same quality standards expected from our Los Angeles Times customers.
There is no doubt in my mind that we in the pressroom will rise to the occasion when the time comes as we have done historically, and for that fact, we on the committee will not comprise our worth to this company. Equally, the company should not ignore the contribution we make on a daily basis, year in, year out as we've done for decades.

We called it a day to let cooler heads prevail and will resume negotiations on November 20th. That was the earliest date possible for both parties. We know that many more of our brothers and sisters have put their faith in the Union and understand that the landscape of the pressroom would be far worse now had we not organized and are aware of what will happen should we ever put our trust in Sam Zell or his minions. We cannot afford to allow this opportunity to escape us no matter what we face in negotiations, so please remain united and patient, because we have always persevered in the face of challenge. This will be by far the biggest challenge we will face together. It will take everyone to stand up for what you believe you are worth and our TRADE deserves. Accept no less, your negotiating committee won't either.

Fraternally and in Solidarity!
Brother Ronnie

Vacation Over, Back to the Table

Vacation over and I'm another year older, I won't bore you with what I did. Calls from L.A. brothers about a change in our practices at the end of the shift came to me last week involving a new practice in L.A.'s. pressroom. Leads now have to be walked in after washing blankets to deter washing out the webs. Does management actually give a crap, when we, not them, have to pick them up. This is another way for supervision to police our work and will give management another way to pit us against one another. How will the individuals that wash out webs be viewed by the rest of the crew when the leads have to be put back in before going home? Now add a couple of bars.

It's obvious a complaint was lodged with the office that previous shifts are washing out webs. This is part of the job and happens on every shift and no one should feel compelled to complain when it happens to them. Blankets can be washed without washing them out, if they are done right, but how many of us actually washes the blankets right knowing that we go home as soon as we're done? It is part of our job and we should be washing them thoroughly for quality purposes, but does not justify the change without collective bargaining.

The appropriate, and only solution would be to go back to washing before the run. This would ensure that washing will be done properly and give supervision the opportunity to inspect the blankets if they chose to. If the blankets need further cleaning that can be addressed while the employee assigned to that particular unit is still there. If a lead is washed out, you pick up your own leads, not leads washed out by the previous crew because they were anxious to bolt out of there as quickly as possible. Washing before the run as we used to do has been suggested many times to management and is considered by Russ as only a way to get a bigger bust-out. This was the standard prior to Walker changing the washing process back in 2003 and should be reversed at this time because it hasn't seemed to slow anyone down and it will guarantee clean blankets everyday, every run. We have proposed this in our overall contract proposal and will pursue this change further today.

We will have more information pertaining to the company's written response to our request for information regarding the recent raises given to non-union production employees as soon as the committee meets with our representative Sonny Shannon today. The written response was being reviewed by our attorney in Washington and President Tedeschi. We on the committee are just as anxious as are all of you to learn what our options are in this matter.

I personally hope that the company comes to the table today with a willingness to salvage the progress we felt we had made right up until the closing hour of our last negotiations. As I stated in a previous post, we had expressed a willingness to show some flexibility and it was not fully reciprocated in their latest proposal regarding seniority. Flexibility has been their number one request, yet they have shown none. We are expected to respond to their latest package proposal and will pick up where we left off.

News from this round of negotiations will be posted after we conclude on Wednesday.

Is the new Publisher a Union Guy?

Editorial Meeting with the Teamsters

Our colleagues in Editorial have taken the first step in having an actual voice in their newsrooms. On Tuesday July 22nd, a group of Editorial employees met with the Guild, this evening, at their request, a group met with our Teamster Representatives. This was the bold first step it takes to determine what they will do next.

I would describe this afternoon's meeting as a great start. I was reminded of our early organizing meetings, and where we are today. I have no doubt, another negotiating table is already waiting!

Our Organizer Marty Keegan opened the meeting explaining what role the Teamsters would play in organizing our Editorial department employees and the role the employees must play in order to successfully protect their interests.

Wrongfully terminated, Santa Barbara Newspress Writer, and former Los Angeles Times Writer, Dawn Hobbs attended this evening's meeting to address the attendees and give her personal account of what has taken place in Santa Barbara and the role the Teamsters have played during their ordeal. A video was shown highlighting their struggle against Owner Wendy McCaw and the numerous actions taken on behalf of the writers. Along with the Teamsters and Attorney, Ira Gottlieb, the writers have won in the NLRB and in Federal Court, numerous ULP'S (unfair labor practices) and Court rulings, including the decision ordering Wendy McCaw to reinstate these terminated writers with full back pay, benefits, and contributions to their retirements. "We knew the Teamsters were the right Union to represent us, and there was no other choice" Dawn Said.

I was very pleased to meet everyone who attended this evening and look forward to meeting many more of our colleagues from editorial very soon. This meeting is one that I have looked forward to in anticipation for quite some time now. I was invited by Marty to share our experiences in organizing our pressrooms and also gave a brief summary of negotiations.
A point I clearly made was that together, with Teamster representatives, we can both increase our ability to negotiate fair collective bargaining agreements, and effectively support each other during negotiations. I also pledged our assistance and support to get their organizing campaign off the ground and to help"immunize" them from the union busting tactics the company used on us, and will most likely begin to force on them.

I again used Newsday as the model for what we can, and should seek to accomplish here at the Times in order to deliver Sam the fight he deserves. The Teamsters represent the pressroom, editorial, machinists, mailers and drivers at Newsday. This is our goal, unfortunately minus the drivers. Best of luck and prayers for all of them and their families, we consider them family first, longtime friends and Teamster brothers and sisters.

The meeting closed with the understanding that a decision has to be made as to who will represent their interests at the table, and a future meeting soon once that decision is made, should that decision be Teamsters. The attendees will be communicating with their colleagues to arrange a meeting amongst themselves to reach their decision.

As many of you already know, The L.A. Times failed to re-new their contract with Ryder, again affecting the men and women formerly employed by the Times to deliver our newspaper. That decision left us wondering, was this purely economics or the company's way of reducing Teamster presence at the paper? Sam Zell doesn't want you to organize, and he certainly don't want you to organize with the Teamsters.

As reporters and writers, you are the Los Angeles Times, it all begins in the newsroom.

Thanks to the InkstainedRetch for making the meeting information available online and for encouraging this movement. I acknowledge that the Retch is neutral, and also acknowledge the contribution Tell Zell has provided to all of us.

Fraternally,
Ronnie Pineda

Survey Results Part 1

Page 1. Sam Zell, Senior Mgt. and Supervision

1. Do you think Sam Zell is the right owner for the Los Angeles Times?

% of Respondents ----------Number of Respondents
Yes
9.38%-----------------------9
No
80.21%----------------------77

OTHER
Hell no!

1.04%-------------------------1
I feel that the owner of this paper should be someone concerned with this community and that would want to use the power of this paper to make a mark on this community
1.04%------------------------1
It should be local owned......
1.04%------------------------1
too early to tell
1.04%------------------------1
no, should have local ownership
1.04%------------------------1
Cares about his Billions and nothing else.
1.04%------------------------1
I truly believe that Sam Zell has no interest in restoring the Tribune Companys.He once stated that "we must sell our logo its all we have" Now he wants to sell the two most important properties in the Tribune Co.He will tear this company down to nothing and profit from it all.
1.04%-----------------------1
doesn't give a shit about anything but money
1.04%-----------------------1
i definitely dont he only cares about the real estate profit and not the people or the la times as a great newspaper
1.04%-----------------------1
He can care less about the employees. He's an INVESTER. That's how he became a billionaire.
1.04%-----------------------1
Number of respondents
94
Number or respondents who skipped this question
60

2. Do you think Employee Elected Representatives should sit on the ESOP Board of trustees?

% of Respondents ---------------Number of Respondents

Yes, afterall it's an ESOP
90.32%-----------------84

No, we can trust Sam
6.45%----------------------6

OTHER

Hell yeah !! after all we are " partners"
1.08%-------------------------1
I dont think that any times or tribune excutives should be on any commity like this
1.08%-------------------------1
You need someone who knows what is happening in the inside.
1.08%-------------------------1
Number of respondents
93
Number or respondents who skipped this question
61

3. Do you think it is right for Sam Zell to lay off partner/employees when he borrowed against their retirement by creating an ESOP to purchase Tribune?

% of Respondents -----------------Number of Respondents

Yes, he has to pay his bills.
9.57%-----------------------------9

NO, He said "You own this place now"
85.11%----------------------------80

OTHER
He's Sam Zell. he's going to do whatever he wants, as long as it makes him richer.
1.06%-----------------------------1
How about upper management take a cut in pay, to save money.
1.06%-----------------------------1
no how can he borrow my money without my permision ?
1.06%-----------------------------1
Should have never been allowed to leverage so much debt to buy Tribune.
1.06%-----------------------------1
we dont own shit zell could give a shit about you or me
1.06%-----------------------------1
Number of respondents
94
Number or respondents who skipped this question
60

4. Newsday has been sold, would you like to see Sam Zell sell the L.A. Times, preferably to a local owner.
% of Respondents ------------------Number of Respondents

No, Sam Zell is a good owner for the L.A.Times
7.53%----------------------------------7
Yes, the sooner the better!
88.17%-------------------------------82

OTHER
yes, put the times back to local ownership. the times on its own can make a profit to substain it self. and we can go back to being one of the great news papers in journalisms we once were.
1.08%---------------------------------1
Sell it to someone who knows about the newspaper.
1.08%---------------------------------1
sooner the better so our paper can be great again since the takeover of the tribune the great la times hit rock bottom at our cost
1.08%---------------------------------1
We should be owned locally. Chicago and Zell hates the west coast culture.
1.08%---------------------------------1
Number of respondents
93
Number or respondents who skipped this question
61

5. Do you think Sam Zell was dishonest with the employees at the L.A. Times when he visited in February?
% of Respondents ---------------------Number of Respondents

Yes, he said he did not agree with Tribunes business model of cutting staff to incure savings.
82.61%-----------------------------------76
No, he was honest and sincere.
9.78%-------------------------------------9

OTHER
He may not have been apprised of the big picture.
1.09%-----------------------------------1
He was honest to a point,but how do you change anything when leaving the same cut first people in charge of growing your business
1.09%----------------------------------1
He"s a thief
1.09%----------------------------------1
I wouldn't use the word dishonest. Ignorant fits just fine. But it feels about the same either way.
1.09%----------------------------------1
Like he said he is a "business man " bottom line that speaks volumes
1.09%----------------------------------1
waiting to see
1.09%----------------------------------1
Wall street called the shots that destoryed us, now the Bankers are doing the same song and dance.
1.09%----------------------------------1
Number of respondents
92
Number or respondents who skipped this question
62

More to come!

Another Debt that won't get paid!

This goes out to the 250 unfortunate employee/partner casualties throughout the Los Angeles Times that visit TELL ZELL and to the inkstainedretch for his commitment to both the newspaper and peers in editorial. Keep up the good work Retch, the number of people speaking out is growing, all the while staffing continues to go down.

In Solidarity, From your brothers and sisters in the Pressrooms!

Union Chapel Meeting

It is time to get everyone informed once again so Chapel Meetings have been scheduled for Thursday, July 17th. We will meet at the usual places, Round Table Pizza in Fountain Valley (map) on Warner & Euclid at 11:am and Shakeys Pizza in East Los Angeles (map) on Cesar Chavez Blvd just east of the 5 Golden State Fwy at 6:oo pm.

Cesar Chavez has a boulevard named after him for all his work in the labor movement improving the lives of many people. Do you think Sam Zell will ever have a street named after him?... just popped into my head.

Our negotiator, GCC/IBT International Representative Sonny Shannon and GCC/IBT Lead Organizer Marty Keegan will provide details from our negotiations and provide answers to your questions. Sonny looks forward to meeting all of you and Marty looks forward to seeing all of you again.Our next negotiations are scheduled for Wednesday,July 16th so the information that they will be delivering on Thursday will be as up to date as you could ask for.

Everyone from all departments are encouraged to attend, we have heard many of our collegues throughout the Times are strongly considering joining us in becoming a stronger voice in our future, however long, or short that may be.

(Reminder, the survey is due to close on July 15th at 12:am so if you haven't taken it yet, do so now! I will provide the results of the survey at our meetings and here on our blog.) Click here to take it now!

Guess who the snake is! It is good to have friends!

See all of you there and please don't come alone!

Where to Begin????

This is question # 6 on our survey and it seems very appropriate to ask at this time.

Senior Management , (Execs. VP's etc.) staffing levels are:

% of Respondents -------- Number of Respondents

Bloated
80.28%
57
Sufficient for the size of the operation
8.45%
6
Low, we need more executives
2.82%
2

OTHER:

bloated and over paid and elitist !!
1.41%
1
Ineffective and not true employees as most have come from outside of company in last 3 years. Too new to have buy-in to past company culture.
1.41%
1
Publisher and next level of leadershipt haven proven to be impotent and incapable. Why haven't they all been replaced?
1.41%
1
There is some extra VP's that can be cut. Not the real personnel who is getting the paper out on deadline.
1.41%
1
too new to the newspaper industry to understand news and the relationships within the areas served by each paper.
1.41%
1
We could save a lot of money by downsizing idiots who can only think of shrinking the paper and reducing the newsroom.
1.41%
1
Number of respondents
71

Figures based on 71 respondents .
Number or respondents who skipped this question
52

Where to begin........
Final statistics will be disclosed at close of survey on July 15th

Survey Update

The survey is going great! We have had over 100 responses in just 2 days, some of which are from our collegues in editorial. I have reviewed some of the responses and it is obvious that some of the supervisors are are evaluating themselves. I could have invited responses via e-mail, by "password only" to prevent this from happening but I wanted to allow anonymity and give everyone the opportunity to answer the questions relating to Sam and Management. I hope all of the supervisors and management who did answers questions relating to their own performance consider allowing us to evaluate ourselves next time and I guarantee they will see as many "H"s as they are giving themselves.

In spite of this obvious intrusion, the survey is providing great perspective from you, the employees in the form of your write in answers. I will post all of the responses at the close of the survey on July 15th. I will also post some of the responses that warrant instant publishing rather than waiting for the close of the survey.

Thanks to all of you who already took the time to respond, here are some of your responses to the final question "If I really owned this place"

Get more reporters into the Greater L.A. communities we're supposed to cover and make the paper relevant to our readers ... insist on TIMELY reporting so we're the ones who break the news, not chase it; this is especially important for our stories online ... give plant employees a lounder voice to educate management and an ombusdman to see their ideas to fruition

Do all I could to restore the journalistic excellence, increase the community pride and stewardship in the paper, and continue to innovate to meet the growing needs of the diverse Southern California community.

Limit the amount an executive recieves to one years salary when leaving the company. Bring back paperboys hawking newspapers during rush hour, and even add an afternoon edition, as a method of increasing circulation.

Sell some fucking ads instead of fidgeting with editorail content

Invest in quality products and people that provide content that our readers really want.

Treat everybody fair and with respect..

Sell it to David Geffen.

If you haven't taken the survey yet, what are you waiting for? Do it now by clicking here.

Online Survey.

Sam Zell, Senior Management and Supervision are topics of an online survey I have created for the purpose of evaluating those who evaluate us.

I have wanted to create something like this survey for quite some time now and this website provided the opportunity to finally do so.

We have all sat down with a supervisor during an evaluation and felt that their evaluation of our performance was not quite as accurate as what we would consider to be a true assessment of our work. We are evaluated for our performance and it is proper that we do the same of our management and supervision. Do they manage and supervise in a manner that promotes productivity, cooperation and teamwork, or do they do just the opposite? You can let each of them know in this survey. We will evaluate each of their performance using the same "H" (Highly proficient) "P" (Proficient) and "N" (Needs improvement) grading system used to rate our performance in the same "General Competencies" areas of:

Communication Skills

Reliability

Flexibility

Initiative

Problem Solving Skills

Teamwork

You can take this survey only once, if you don't complete it, you can return where you left off.

Be sure to inform everyone and direct them to the survey, the more responses we receive the better. No one should miss this opportunity to respond to important questions I have heard many of you ask.

Results will be compiled and revealed when the survey closes on July 15, 2008 at 12:00 am

Click here to take the survey now. The survey was created with eSurveysPro.com, a free online survey software.

The survey is now open. I corrected a problem this morning and it is now available to take.

KFWB 980 AM Radio Spots

Radio ads informing union members in Los Angeles and Orange County of our efforts to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement are scheduled to air Monday, June 23rd, on KFWB News 980 AM.

Fired Santa Barbara Newspress Reporter Tom Schultz can be heard delivering our message to all union members listening to KFWB 980 am all week long and online at KFWB.com

We wish Tom and all of the reporters who were unlawfully terminated for union activity at Santa Barbara NewsPress the very best in their battle against Owner Wendy McCaw. Obey the law, Wendy McCaw!