Friday, February 6, 2009

About those furloughs ...

We met with the Press-Telegram yesterday to sign our recently ratified contract that includes, among other provisions, a one year protection against layoff and 2% annual wage increases. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news, depending on one's perspective, is that a very intense discussion regarding the company's 5-day furlough mandate and its effects to the bargaining unit failed to produce an agreement acceptable to both sides at this time.

The furlough has been imposed at other non-union MediaNews properties and is now in place at Guild-covered papers where negotiations with the company resulted in an agreement. Guild and company representatives reached a furlough agreement earlier this week at our sister paper, the LA Daily News.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let me understand this. You write that the union got a deal that guarantees pay and jobs. Then the paper asks for furloughs I guess they say to avoid more layoffs. Sure. They ask, you say no. What's wrong with that? You got what you wanted. I say screw everybody else. Go union. You'll teach those bastards; no matter how many other people lose their jobs. Furloughs suck. I would rather get laidoff and get unemployment. That way I get paid and still don't work. Way better than a furlough.

Anonymous said...

Understand this...Ok so Rich yesterday just dug himself deeper into the A-Hole of Dean Singleton. Almost 90 percent of the news room was in his office ( sad statement right there, ) and asked us to reconsider the furloughs and that we are the only one to be not interested in the idea and we are a team so where is the team spirit.

Someone Kill me.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure he did it to buy himself a few more months in the big office. Too bad it won't save him, or this paper in the long run.

If you lay down with the devil, don't be surprised when your junk is on fire.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Larry Allison's encouraging " your not in it for the money " speech.

What leaders !

Anonymous said...

Rich is a company man. If he ever had a soul, he sold it long ago. He doesn't believe in journalism; he believes in staying employed. Oh, and he also believes in trying to be one of the cool guys by kissing the butts of the sports columnists. Napoleon, he is. I hope he has his Waterloo very soon.

If Larry Allison is the older, redheaded skinny dude, I remember seeing him once. In the bathroom, I was washing my hands, and he came out of a stall after stinking it up . . . .

And proceeded to walk right by the sink, leaving WITHOUT washing his hands.

I guess it's a habit for him, getting sh!t on his hands and spreading it around.

Anonymous said...

Rich has truly lost control of everything.

Your captain is drunk and sleeping below.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Larry Allison also the guy who called Dean and told him the paper was for sale in the first place?

Anonymous said...

Why no post in more than a week ? Allot of stuff going on. Dean almost defaulting ect. Lets get on it

Anonymous said...

yes, lot of news..where are the posts?

Anonymous said...

Has that news already been reported elsewhere? And will it possibly put the Union in a good light?

If both of those criteria are met, THEN you will see it here.