Wages are “Frozen” at Albany Times Union and it’s no fairy tale

The Disney on Ice show based on the wildly popular “Frozen” is appearing at the Times Union Center through Sunday. And the Albany Newspaper Guild is using this occasion to remind Capital Region residents that something else has been frozen _ the wages for families who work for the Albany Times Union.

Wages have been frozen at the paper for seven years and counting, with no sign of a thaw. For this period, the company has repeatedly offered one-time cash _ but no raise in salary _ in return for the union handing over all rights over outsourcing of jobs and seniority job protections _ twin demands that union leadership and its members view as leading to the ultimate destruction of this 80-year organization.

During this freeze, hard-working Times Union families have seen their standard of living decline by roughly 20 percent, when cost of living increases are combined with increasing bills for health insurance. Families are cutting back and cutting back to try to keep up. But this cannot go on forever…

During this season of compassion and empathy for others, the Guild is asking that people call up Times Union Publisher George Hearst at 454.5555 and tell him that the freeze has gone on long enough. It is time to fairly compensate the people who write, illustrate, deliver and sell the ads _ all of whom help make Times Union the important community voice that it is.