I tend to disagree with management at the Los Angeles Times, but on this rare occasion, I agree with Mark Kurtich regarding his message to Pressroom Employees. What’s the point in another election?In the past, when I was pro-union, we collected many more than needed pledge cards only to be defeated over and over again. Only half the workers that signed pledge cards voted yes for union representation, the others signed for different reasons, like to get the union supporters off their backs, or to send a message to management.
Before filing for another election, it would be wise to gather signatures from eighty-five to ninety percent of pressroom employees first.
One union supporter told me "If your not going to vote yes, don't sign a card", so I will not be signing a card during this union campaign.
If past elections results are ignored, union supporters will be embarrassed yet again.
Ed
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7 comments:
Mark K. has said many things that were not true. I would like to be able to rely on having a future. The reason we have lost many priviledges and continue to loose many more comes from an array of self serving individuals. They side with the Union so they can be coerced to go against and offered some crumbs that only a child would take with out question. I am offended by many blind co-workers that after being grown men and woman still depend on some management person who makes there choices for them. It's time to cut the unbilical cord. And make choices for ourselves. Would you trust some guy driving by offering you candy and telling you, " It's all going to be okay, Just trust me." Maybe this is a form of exagerated thruth, but is it really? The ones to trust is family. People you work with on a daily basis. I challenge you to seek the truth and overcome youre fear.
All the union is going to do is creat another payroll deduction. Some of us have seen the newsday contract and it is about the same we are getting minus the union dues. Yes they do have their 2% raise in "writing" but is that worth 70 bucks a month? I hear about this great union retirement plan but that's all I hear is talk. How about something in writing as union people love to say? The bonuses the newsday people got for signing was a result of crew size cuts. We are already cut so you can bet there will be no bonus for us yet that is also thrown around in the union pro versus con discussions.
First comment sound like the whiner that may need to find a job that is union.If i was not happy and grateful hear.I would pack it up and leave.And the truth you cannot trust your coworker only yourself if your HONEST WITH YOURSELF oc pressman a great place to work without a union
Sorry oc pressman the 1st "anonymous " spoke the truth.. something you obviousley have a hard time understanding with all the stuff mark k. has " pumped " you full of
Hey Ed how you doing I'm sorry to respond to you " topic " so late ...but my computer has been out of service .As a responce to your saying us "union supporters" being disapointed I believe it should be WE as a whole( pressroom ) be ashamed for allowing this to happened , and not respecting our "trade" ( and standing up )
I've always admired you from afar for your onetime union
support. I just wish you would reconsider this decision this one time ( yes I know it gets tiresome ) well hope you have a great day ( I'm tired it's late )
a fellow pressman
No one is disputing that we have great jobs, or that we are paid well. In OC you might have it a little better than in LA, There is a reason for this, divide and conquer. Putting out a newspaper on time with so many zones, and time limits, on night side this is something I like doing. I now have no doubt, that what union supporters have been saying all this time was right. For the first time I will support the union, and without any doubt that my choice is the right one. Great jobs, good pay, good benefits, something’s are worth fighting for. What will the Times look like in four years with out a contract? You have seen what Tribune can do in one year. I will not have any shame if the union dose not win an election, at least I would have tried, and not coward in a corner and wished it would all go away. It’s a different world in witch we work now, corporate greed along with greedy investors have changed everything, open your eyes!
Response to anonymous #2
You knuckle head, what would make the employees at Newsday ratify a ten-year contract that started OCT. 9, 1995 to APRIL 30, 2006? I’ll tell you why, with a contract they made real gains in compensation. You say we have the same, WRONG! Example; we get 2% that’s all we get, but if Newsday gets a 2% they also get a COLA; say the cost of living is 3% up in the year that they are due a 2% raise, well do the math. Imagine a California cost of living adjustment to a 2% raise
It’s because of a contract that they gotten better manning, better holiday pay, and a no strike no lock clause, and a successor clause, and in 2000, when Tribune took over, they have not had to take any bullshit cuts.
It wasn’t till 2006, where Newsday had to renegotiate, with Tribune this time; this is where the give and take bargaining that Kurtich loves to talk about. Yes they lost some pressmen to buyouts, and some press helpers, that’s where the signing bonus comes in, and still they have better manning than the Times, And until 2010 don’t even have to see a Vice President Of Operations.
It’s because of the contract that started 1995 that they reached a pay scale or surpassed
That of the Times. It was Times Mirror that paid employees not to go union; Tribune has taken it all back.
Newsday and LA Times are not the same Newsday has a contract.
I don’t know where you got 70$ for dues, but what ever it is, I’ll gladly pay it to keep the greed in check.
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