Labor leaders pledge their support
At a breakfast meeting today, Capital Region labor leaders pledged their support for our union in its contract negotiations with the Times Union.
The local leaders were incensed by many of the proposals the Company has made including:
* from “We’re Your Source” to “We’re Outsourced”: The contract wants the right to outsource our jobs to independent contractors and nonunion part-timers. In 1995, an exception was made to this language for drivers. At the time, there were 49. Now there are only five. This proposal could decimate the workforce.
* Elimination of the “No Pay Cuts” clause, rendering contractual minimums meaningless.
* Elimination of the requirement that layoffs occur in reverse order of seniority, enabling managers to pick and choose who they let go regardless of how long and loyal the employee’s service.
*Elimination of severance if a person is laid off “for cause” with management being the sole decider of what constitutes “cause”
*From “Labor Unions: The Folks Who Brought You the Weekend” to “The Times Union: The Folks Who Eliminated the Weekend.” They want to give supervisors the right to change employees’ days off without their consent — and even split them so they don’t get two days off in a row.
Bargaining resumes at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 15.
11 Comments
Dan Higgins
Wow, that’s quite a proposal. At what point in the offer do they include “daily wahck in kneecaps with ball-peen hammer?”
Tim, I’ve got bad news for you, pal. Someone thinks we are dumb.
Kathleen Scales
I fully support the Times Union Workers receiving a fair contract that does NOT include: outsourcing of jobs, elimination contractual protections to good pay, guaranteed days off and other givebacks.
Management should be encouraged to go back to the table with reasonable proposals.
Fareed Michelen
This once again proves that no matter what type of work you do, the boss is always going to try and rob you of a decent wage and some general decency. I fully support the workers and hope management can see how bargaining in good faith is also a sound economic decision. Good luck to all involved.
Richard Marceau
This is the thanks your employees get for getting up at 3 in the morning and working in harsh weather conditions, not to mention high fuel prices. Way to go!!! I will stop buying your paper and will urge all my friends and neighbors to do likewise till this issue is resolved in a fair and equitable manner. Richard Marceau IAM Local 1145.
albanyguild
Thanks for your support. We are not asking anyone to boycott the newspaper at this time. Please continue to subscribe. Tim O’Brien, President.
Greg Giorgio
Shame on the Times Union for using these kind of bargaining tactics,
tantamount to union busting when contract shredding proposals like these
are offered. In the way we should be looking at this, the TU has engaged
in bad faith negotiations by the offer itself. While modern media struggles
to “compete” for readers’ attention with a great deal more media than
they had been concerned with in the past, the TU is a profitable venture
that cannot do the kind of journalism they purport without these good
union members. Your struggle is our struggle and we salute you and
ask you to keep us informed to solicit our assistance in your fight for a
fair contract and a decent, civil workplace.
Bill Peltz
A few days ago, a TU reporter gave me a TU t-shirt. Not knowing that contract negotiations were going on, I joked about how, at the next strike, I’d represent the Labor-Religion Coalition on the picket line, wearing the TU shirt. The reporter’s comment was that there’d be no next strike. The reason? People are too afraid that they’d lose their jobs. Evidently that’s what management is counting on. They don’t think you’re dumb. They’re sure you’re scared.
Seth Cohen
Has the management of the TU forgotten that a majority of it’s readers are a labor workforce, especially those in the immediate area of the Capital District. Outsourcing of jobs, demanding the arbitrary ability to change a worker’s daily schedule is outrageous. As President of the Troy Teachers Association I will encourage my members to support the TU workforce and help fight for a fair contract. Keep us informed if you need any assistance in your efforts.
Kevin Kerr
I support your cause for a fair contract. We all deserve one!
Kevin Kerr, IBEW LU#236
William Cook
Our local is in full support of the effort by the TNG/CWA members to gain a fair contract that respects seniority rights with no givebacks.
Bryan Clenahan
I just wanted to voice my full support of the Newspaper Guild/CWA of Albany Times-Union workers in the fight for a fair and decent contract. Good luck! Please let me know if there’s any way I can help or lend support.
Bryan Clenahan, Albany County Legislature