This message is to all Los Angeles Times Pressroom Employees from Times management.
The Union wants you to believe that with a union you will automatically have greater job security. That just isn't true.
· Having a union does not guarantee your job: The only contract the GCIU negotiated with The Times gave management the exclusive right to lay off employees and to reduce crew size.
· Look at what has happened at the Daily Breeze, which outsourced it press operations, and what’s happening at the San Francisco Chronicle, which has announced permanent outsourcing.
· Having a union did not stop the employees at WLVI from being laid off when the Boston television station was sold recently by the Tribune Company.
· Unions cannot guarantee better wages and benefits: In California the Union has never been able to negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions as good as you have today. And with respect to benefit plans such as pension, health and welfare, etc., the old GCIU contract provided that the Company had "the right at any time to change, modify, amend, or discontinue those plans."
· The Union cannot even guarantee that you will keep what you have today: The law recognizes that bargaining is a two-way street. You could end up with more, you could end up with the same, and you could end up with less --- like the union-represented presspersons ended up in the 1960's under the only union contract negotiated at The Times.
· With a union there is always the possibility of a strike: The GCIU has gone on strike more than 50 times over the last 20 years at newspapers across the country. Striking employees lost thousands of dollars in wages and in some cases were permanently replaced.
There is one thing, however, that is virtually guaranteed. If the Union wins, an important union goal will be to negotiate a Union Shop and Dues Checkoff Clause.
· A union shop clause generally requires all employees to pay monthly dues, fees and assessments as permitted by law, and, if an employee doesn't pay, the Union can force the employer to FIRE the employee.
· A dues checkoff clause means that dues can be deducted directly from your paycheck. That's a clause the Union had in the 1967-1970 contract with The Times.
How important are these clauses to the Union? Important enough to strike over. At Hirschfeld Press, once the largest completely union print shop in Colorado, the GCIU struck over the Company's refusal to continue forcing employees to pay union dues. The strike lasted a year and ended when the Union was voted out. And the Union abandoned the pressroom employees at the St. Joseph News Press when the employees would not vote to strike over the issue of union security.
Now, we're not saying that there will automatically be a strike if the Union is voted in --- and The Times would bargain in good faith. But what we are saying is that a union doesn't automatically guarantee greater job security. In our opinion, having a union can sometimes mean less real job security.
· Having a union does not guarantee your job: The only contract the GCIU negotiated with The Times gave management the exclusive right to lay off employees and to reduce crew size.
· Look at what has happened at the Daily Breeze, which outsourced it press operations, and what’s happening at the San Francisco Chronicle, which has announced permanent outsourcing.
· Having a union did not stop the employees at WLVI from being laid off when the Boston television station was sold recently by the Tribune Company.
· Unions cannot guarantee better wages and benefits: In California the Union has never been able to negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions as good as you have today. And with respect to benefit plans such as pension, health and welfare, etc., the old GCIU contract provided that the Company had "the right at any time to change, modify, amend, or discontinue those plans."
· The Union cannot even guarantee that you will keep what you have today: The law recognizes that bargaining is a two-way street. You could end up with more, you could end up with the same, and you could end up with less --- like the union-represented presspersons ended up in the 1960's under the only union contract negotiated at The Times.
· With a union there is always the possibility of a strike: The GCIU has gone on strike more than 50 times over the last 20 years at newspapers across the country. Striking employees lost thousands of dollars in wages and in some cases were permanently replaced.
There is one thing, however, that is virtually guaranteed. If the Union wins, an important union goal will be to negotiate a Union Shop and Dues Checkoff Clause.
· A union shop clause generally requires all employees to pay monthly dues, fees and assessments as permitted by law, and, if an employee doesn't pay, the Union can force the employer to FIRE the employee.
· A dues checkoff clause means that dues can be deducted directly from your paycheck. That's a clause the Union had in the 1967-1970 contract with The Times.
How important are these clauses to the Union? Important enough to strike over. At Hirschfeld Press, once the largest completely union print shop in Colorado, the GCIU struck over the Company's refusal to continue forcing employees to pay union dues. The strike lasted a year and ended when the Union was voted out. And the Union abandoned the pressroom employees at the St. Joseph News Press when the employees would not vote to strike over the issue of union security.
Now, we're not saying that there will automatically be a strike if the Union is voted in --- and The Times would bargain in good faith. But what we are saying is that a union doesn't automatically guarantee greater job security. In our opinion, having a union can sometimes mean less real job security.
WHY GAMBLE? – VOTE "NO"
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