Thursday, February 01, 2007

Pressroom Seniority or Company Seniority

Pressroom employees do not work the normal nine to five as many other professions do. And we generally work weekends and holiday’s as well. With many different editions to produce, the window of completion is watched carefully to insure our subscribers have their newspaper delivered on time, everyday.

I noted a misconception within the blogosphere before the union election, many bloggers referred to the pressmen as press operators. In most pressrooms, everyone rotates jobs on the printing crew, one day you’re the press operator, the next day you could be pushing the rolls of newsprint into the reel arms of the printing press.

At the Los Angeles Times, the press operator is exactly what the job title states; he or she operates the printing press on a daily basis. The position of press operator will go the way of the caboose on a train, sometime down the road.

Every year the pressroom goes through our annual ritual of selecting the shift one would like to work for one year. The order of selecting ones shift is based on seniority, or the date you started working in the pressroom, with the men and women with the lowest seniority numbers going before those with higher numbers.

Last week one pressman, that transferred from another department, told two of my crew members the union would restore his seniority to company seniority, this did not go over well at all. If I had not witnessed this incident in person, I would have thought this was but another rumor.

In closing, my new press crew is not the highest in seniority, but the oldest in age. Bill Conover is the youngest crewmember at 52, and Larry Brush the oldest at 69.



11 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:16 AM

    Strange...... I thought, from what I heard from our friends from Newsday that you wouldn’t lose anything that you had! Hummmmmmmmmmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ed, I've heard the same rumor(?) several times out on the floor, yet Ronnie stated on the SOT website that he was against using company seniority in the pressroom. Which is the truth? Who knows? I guess we'll find out soon enough; or will we, timely communication to the rank and file does not seem to be a priority for the union organizing committee.

    "Strange...... I thought, from what I heard from our friends from Newsday that you wouldn’t lose anything that you had! Hummmmmmmmmmmm."

    Actually, the Newsday boys hedged their bet a little on that one, they said we wouldn't lose anything unless we negotiated it away; in other words, anything is possible.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:31 AM

    NO, NO..... Only the "company" does that sort of thing! Don't you remember?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:17 PM

    You strong union supporters that voted yes. Only in my opinion took a big gamble with everybodys future. You guys listen to newsday and Ronnie with hopes and dreams. SO SORRY i can only hope things get better more divided than ever. OC OPERATOR that does not need a union

    ReplyDelete
  5. O.K.
    This is the third time I am addressing the "seniority" issue. I will say it again, No one that was active in the organizing campaign ever discussed or stated a desire or willingness to change the seniority list!

    As I also stated on SOT.com, when Northridge closed, they ONLY FAIR way to consolidate us remaining pressmen and women was by DEPARTMENT SENIORITY! I have been with the company for almost thirty years and don't think it would be fair for me to jump over people who have worked their whole career in the pressroom. I gave up my 18 years of senority willingly to come into the pressroom.

    Ed,
    as far as the operator spot and crew structure, why would it have to change? It's worked this long, why change it? No one has ever said that crew structure was something to consider changing.

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  6. Ronnie,

    The elimination of the press operator position has nothing whatsoever to do with the union, management will eliminate my position. As they have the other ten job titles on a press crew.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:47 AM

    Geee Ronnie..... You sound like Bill Clinton, "I did not have sex with that woman....." (defind "sex") Question.. Weren't the "boys" from Newsday part of the union drive? (define "active in the organizing campaign")

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:46 AM

    My question is how Ronnie has all these answers? When he is one not majority. He is in for alot of surprises when it is time to bargain. You guys followed him?? Ronnie says focus on a contract well hopefuly if is less the majority will reject it. And focus on decertification and getting on with our lifes.Peace and remember Ronnie does not have the answers

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:54 AM

    Oh by the way Ronnie always makes statements on this blog other than his own why is that Ronnie.He is not even a 20 year pressman and his skills prove that. OC OPERATOR

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous10:05 AM

    Is OC Operator stuck on stupid ?????....or what!!!! just lay of the Trico dude ....sniff... sniff

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:28 PM

    Just stating FACTS sorry you sniffed to much and followed the sheep.

    ReplyDelete

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