Hi Ed,
I wanted to write you personally, instead of just trying to post on your site. I wanted you to see my comments first and hopefully feel they can help.
My name is Lou Nicosia and as you know I was recently they’re to talk to people about unions.
I have been a pressman at Newsday for 30 years this September.
I am not a professional organizer and this was my first time going somewhere to talk to people.
President Tedeschi was my president for over 20 years and asked me to come because he felt it would be a good idea to talk to the pressroom people as an equal, and answer any questions that people had.
I realize there is a certain amount of apprehension and fear of the unknown.
First I would like to address this issue about "outsiders". The people who would be representing you will be other press personnel just like yourselves who will be elected by all of you. Choose wisely and remember that integrity and honesty should be major factors on which you elect. Who knows your shops better then the people who work there?
Second the union is not about disrupting the work place or being adversarial. It’s about having a say in the work place. It’s about fairness and treating people with respect. The union wants the company to be successful, our livelihoods depend on it. Honestly in 40 years of contracts at Newsday there was never a strike or work stoppage.
Third and lastly if the company thought it was a better or cheaper idea to outsource our pressrooms they would do it anyway union or not. They don't keep our jobs and pressrooms where they are because they like us. We are the best people they can find to do what we do with our products.
I am asking people to keep and open mind and work together. Whoever works in a pressroom knows we live and breathe there.
Of course comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Lou
I wanted to write you personally, instead of just trying to post on your site. I wanted you to see my comments first and hopefully feel they can help.
My name is Lou Nicosia and as you know I was recently they’re to talk to people about unions.
I have been a pressman at Newsday for 30 years this September.
I am not a professional organizer and this was my first time going somewhere to talk to people.
President Tedeschi was my president for over 20 years and asked me to come because he felt it would be a good idea to talk to the pressroom people as an equal, and answer any questions that people had.
I realize there is a certain amount of apprehension and fear of the unknown.
First I would like to address this issue about "outsiders". The people who would be representing you will be other press personnel just like yourselves who will be elected by all of you. Choose wisely and remember that integrity and honesty should be major factors on which you elect. Who knows your shops better then the people who work there?
Second the union is not about disrupting the work place or being adversarial. It’s about having a say in the work place. It’s about fairness and treating people with respect. The union wants the company to be successful, our livelihoods depend on it. Honestly in 40 years of contracts at Newsday there was never a strike or work stoppage.
Third and lastly if the company thought it was a better or cheaper idea to outsource our pressrooms they would do it anyway union or not. They don't keep our jobs and pressrooms where they are because they like us. We are the best people they can find to do what we do with our products.
I am asking people to keep and open mind and work together. Whoever works in a pressroom knows we live and breathe there.
Of course comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Lou
Posts
26 comments:
c'mon Jess,
He said "comments are welcome"!
Mr.Soprano I feel so much better now.
"c'mon Jess,
He said "comments are welcome"!"
Okay, so what are you waiting for? Go for it.
Who on the floor has the knowledge/expertise to negotiate with the company executives and lawyers? Oh I see..... the union will provide that knowledge/expertise with their people (outsiders). And what’s their motivation/agenda (see comments below)? What’s important to the Union? Will they say “just trust us, we’ve been here many times before and we know how to handle this”. I bet they know what they want out of this “negotiation”. I wonder if it’s the same thing that the people on the floor want. Do you suppose, that what the people on the floor want, the union already knows it’s not going to happen.
A quote from George Tedeschi, President of the Teamsters' Graphic Communications Conference. "We will be there to help them bargain their first contract. This vote is also an important step for the union since this gives us membership density in another major city." http://www.teamster.org/07news/nr_070107_1.asp
"We finally got 'em. It took 40 years!" shouted Marty Keegan, the Teamsters' lead organizer in the election.......... Union activists celebrated the victory, planned for contract talks and discussed the possibility of expanding their foothold at the newspaper — perhaps by organizing newsroom employees.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-union7jan07,0,5117560.story?coll=la-default-underdog
someone will not let it gooooooooo ( post 4# )
I will respond to underdog;
just so you understand how this process works. The press people at the Times will be surveyed about issues that are most important to them. These ideas will be written down in the form of proposals.
There will be a professional negotiator there from The GCC/IBT, and there will be professional negotiators from Tribune who are usually lawyers.
The rest of your negotiating committee is made up of people you elect from the pressroom, usually your stewards but others may be elected if you choose to do so.
After any negotiation when an agreement between the committees is finished it goes back to the full membership for a vote. If the membership agrees with the terms it will then be considered ratified. If the membership should disapprove it, the committee goes back to the bargaining table.
I realize this is new to many people but research the process for yourself and see if what I'm saying is true or not.
Mr.Soprano I feel so much better again. Please dont go back to New York, what would the mindless do without you?
You guys are already going to have to ask for alot. Who is going to buy your lunch now? Awe shucks what about your uniforms you might have to wash them yourself. Oh I forgot about the bustouts... I VOLUNTEER TO BUY YOUR TIME CLOCK. I expect to see a full parking lot everyday, what a shame. What is the shop steward going to do when the usual are sleeping? Where are you going to go when you cant stay in the cafe for hours anymore? I volunteer to BUY YOUR HORN FOR A BREAK BUZZER TOO.
“The press people at the Times will be surveyed about issues that are most important to them. These ideas will be written down in the form of proposals”.
Mr. Nicosia question for you...... So then am I right in assuming that my current compensation, benefits, working conditions, work rules, job responsibilities and duties, i.e. anything I currently receive will become a proposal and submitted to negotiation, and that anything in addition to what I already receive will also become a written proposal and submitted for negotiation? If that is true, it looks like I am back to square one with nothing to show for my current years of service. I hope you guys are good at what you do so I can at least keep what I have.
It is safe to say anything you presently have will remain the same. The only difference is you will have it in writing and it wont be subject to change at the employers whim, or unless you decide to change it. And however it changes or remains the same it will be voted on by the full membership.
Mr. Nicosia you cant be serious. Yes it will be in writing but it DOESNT MATTER the COMPANY is going to do what it has to do even with a CONTRACT. By the way things dont change on a whim that is why most in operations have been with the company anywhere between 20-40 years.
Really? Well how did all the 20-40 year people feel after they lost their 5th week of vacation?
Hey LOU you do not know the facts. When trb took over 15 years and less was a cut off for 5th week so please if you do not know mind your own business at your business at newsday. ThankYou Very Much and PEACE
Lou,
We haven't lost our fifth week....yet. Though the word on the floor is part of the union's agenda is to trade our fifth week for additional manning. Is there any truth to that? Is there any truth to statement that you guys are also considering to trade part of our wages for additional crew manning? Has there been any discussion among union "leadership" on these subjects? You guys accused the company of being dishonest and deceptive, I guess time will tell if you're any better. So how about some honest answers?
Mr. Bonpensiero you need to get your facts straight. Go back to New York with Mr. Soprano and mind your own businees. I do NOT put my nose in your business do I ???
Mr. Nicosia how many weeks of vacation do you get?
OK fair enough. I'll try to answer all of these questions one at a time. First you're correct I found out after I wrote that it was after 15 years on the 5th week. I apologize. We negotiated for people with 18 years. I currently get 5 weeks. All Times Mirror properties had 5 after 20 years. The Tribune policy is 4 max. on new hires and in some of their other properties.
Second, To my knowledge there have been no discussions in regard to trading off the 5th week or wages to increase staffing levels.
When you guys have your first meeting as a group attend and ask these questions.You people will decide together on what is the best route to proceed.You guys know best what you want or need.
Also everyone has the right to ask whatever they want, I just hope some of the anger I detect is removed from the questions because they are all legitimate questions, and you should expect nothing less then the truth.
And finally am I Soprano or Bonpensiero? Lets keep the discussion going. Its healthy either way.
Mr.Nicosia I am still waiting... Again how many weeks of vacation do you get? We want to know.
in our contract it's 18 years for the 5th week better then 15.just like 5% into our 401k not 4% Hey guys this is not what it is all about.You guys are missing something!!!!!!! everything is in a binding contract it can not be changed don't u get it!
sorry Lou but i was on the page and had to respond
Mike LaSpina
“You guys are missing something!!!!!!! everything is in a binding contract it can not be changed don't u get it!”
Oh I think we do sir!!! It’s a pity that you have never known what it is like to work with a employer that “really” cares and works with it’s employees. Tribune changed all that and brought to the Times what you have, the need for a “binding contract”! All the changes at the Los Angeles Times came as a result of Tribune bringing in the “Midwest/East coast” mentality of how to run a business and take care of it’s employees. Yes sir I feel sorry for you and your “brothers and sisters” that have never had the opportunity to work for a company that Norman and Otis Chandler ran! If you had you would get it!!!!!!
Lou,
Thanks for the answers re trading off our 5th week of vacation and part of our wages for extra manning, though I wish you wouldn't have qualified your answer with the phrase "to my knowledge", that leaves so much wiggle room, we've seen it before. I appreciate the time you took to answer, but it would have been so much more comforting to hear a definitive answer on this subject from our own organizing committee! So once again, and this is to our organizing committee, has there been any discussion regarding trading our 5th week and/or part of our wages for extra manning? Remember, you guys ran a campaign based on how dishonest the Tribune is, are you any better? Show us.
Still no answer for this question from our organizing committee?
And I forgot to mention; according to NLRB law the company cannot change any of your present benefits or wages unless you agree to change them in negotiations.
From the Organizing Commitee:
No-one who was involved in the campaign ever suggested or mentioned any bargaining away or trading their 5th week of vacation.
As I stated on www.saveourtrade.com
(rumor control tab)
It's not fair that some of us receive a 5th week after 25 years of service, and some don't.
I will be receivivng my 5th week this year, and I have no intention of giving it up.
I think we should instead realize that we now have an opportunity to have the 1992 service cap of 15 years of service for a 5th week of vacation lifted in negotiations.
So wouldn't it be in all of our interest to keep what we have and see to it that the rest of us receive the same.
Hello,
I am still not sure what site I should be receiving The Los Angeles Time union info. Is it edpadgett.com or saveourtrade.com
It is difficult looking for info and what is happening.
One of the 130+
Without UNION CONTRACTS non –union employee’s would not have half the things you currently have .Everything you have is close but not the same and the reason being is to try to keep you out of unions. Just think about this? If we agree to pay 45% more in healthcare in our contracts do you think for one minute non-union employees would still be at 27% !Or we accepted to just give up the 5th week of vacation without a time frame in place you guys in L.A. would still have it! Non-union employees have what they have now because of UNION CONTRACT that’s the FACTS
Mike LaSpina (Local 406)
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