Colorful Language in the Pressroom

As the publisher of our newspaper played snippets from the Sam Zell video, some in the audience were shocked at Sam’s use of the F-word, and others just saw Sam as another colleague we would be able to talk to over a cigarette.

I mentioned to our human resources representative that Sam was a pressman in his first career, before deciding to become a billionaire, which caused her to remark, “I didn’t know that!” I quickly told her the truth that Sam Zell was never a pressman, he just spoke like a pressman.

Last week when yet another piece of equipment failed, out of frustration I asked our shift supervisor where the pressroom manager was, using Sam Zell’s colorful language to convey my description of the pressroom manager.

My use of colorful metaphors to describe my Tribune Boss were considered insubordination by the shift supervisor, and I was told I came very close to being sent home without pay, for my outburst. The Los Angeles Times Olympic Pressroom is a powder keg ready to explode, as the press operator’s are being singled out for the problems occurring daily on all the printing presses.

As a result of the high decibels generated by the printing presses, the staff on the pressroom floor has developed our own form of sign language over the years, which anyone that has worked in our environment understands.

Yesterday my colleagues created a new sign to show our displeasure when under duress with management, that cannot be taken as insubordinate, which pressroom employees already fully understand.

Below, Bill Conover is practicing our new sign language with the afternoon shift supervisor. And as you can see, the shift supervisor is still smiling; no one is offended by this friendly gesture, that allows my colleagues and myself to vent our fustrations.