Members of the building trades pledged Monday to support our union as we face the most difficult contract talks since our founding 75 years ago.

Guild President Tim O’Brien was invited to speak to a weekly meeting of leaders of 15 different building trades. Everyone from the carpenters to the boilermakers were there.

The packed room at the Albany Labor Temple was disturbed to hear about the Company’s threat to cancel our contract April 9. They vowed to do all they could to support us.

“Do you want us to boycott the newspaper?” one leader asked.

O’Brien explained that was not allowed under the contract, but that could change April 9.

A leader of the carpenters union asked: “Do you want to borrow our rat?”

We hope the Company will wise up and drop its threat. But if not, yes, we would like to borrow that rat.

Guild members took to the streets in two cities Saturday to let the public know about the Times Union’s unprecedented assault on its workers’ contract.

At the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Albany, Guild members fanned out to distribute fliers on green paper that informed people “It’s not a great day for Times Union employees, readers and advertisers.”

We discussed the Company’s first-ever decision to cancel our contract and force a series of givebacks on us. Readers told us that they found the newspaper to be thin, with little content, and they were deeply offended by the Company’s treatment of employees. Many promised to back our efforts, and some said they would cancel their newspaper on April 9 if the Company followed through on its threat.

Meanwhile, in Schenectady, another group of members went to  the Fuccillo car dealership, one of our top advertisers. There, they explained to managers of the dealership and to passersby that we appreciate their advertising support and encourage people to shop there. We also warned, however, that we could be forced into an advertising boycott if the Company follows through on its threat to cancel our contract.

We’ve never done this before, but we never have faced a battle like this before. One manager in editorial loudly told a reporter, in front of witnesses, “the Guild must die.”

Faced with people who want to kill our union, we will have to take dramatic action. To our colleagues in advertising, we know this may be a shock but we will be approaching many other advertisers with the same message: We appreciate your support, we shop here and encourage others to do so because you advertise with the TU, and we hope not to have to launch an advertising boycott April 9.

Thanks to all who turned out today in two cities. The effort to convince the Company to retreat from the horrendous path it has chosen is really gaining steam. You will learn more about the efforts we, the labor community and others will make on our behalf in the days ahead.

The Company’s communications and some recent discussions in the building might lead you to believe that seniority is the only outstanding issue in these contract negotiations.

That’s not nearly the case. Here’s a look at some of the other awful things the Company wants to do:

• Be able to lay employees off and outsource their jobs.

In editorial, an editor recently traveled to Houston and was laying out pages from there, testing the system. The Company wants to eliminate the jobs of page designers and have that work done in Texas. Editorial and advertising artists, people who take calls in Circulation and Advertising, features reporters, people in our business office, all these jobs will be at risk and likely gone in no time if they are given that language.

• No raises for three years but an increase of $648 a year in health-care costs come January. And that’s if they don’t raise the deductible too.

The Company proposes to hike your share of health care from 16 percent to 25 percent on January 1. It also wants to wipe out the language requiring any new health insurance plan to  be “comparable” and be able to change your share, both percentage of the cost and the deductible, with no say from you or your union.

• Eliminate the no-pay-cuts clause.

Ever get a merit raise? It could be taken away. Or you could be transferred against your will to a lower pay classification and your pay could then be cut.

The Company wants to focus solely on the seniority issue because they know it’s a sensitive one for those at the bottom of the list. The Company insists it wants to make these decisions solely on quality. We told the Company frankly “You’re ignoring the elephant in the room: Favoritism.” We recited specific cases of people — including some of our best known names — who spent some time in the doghouse at the whim of a boss.

Are there great people at the bottom of the seniority list? Absolutely. We have been fighting to keep as many jobs as possible, offering cost-saving measures and pushing hard to get a buyout offer.

We are not shutting the door on compromises on any of these issues, but don’t let the Company fool you. Seniority is not the only issue.

As Times Union employees wait to hear if they will lose their jobs, their corporate bosses are planning a party at the Capital Region’s most expensive restaurant. The bash is to include free limo rides.

A day after rejecting the Guild’s money-saving proposals, and after telling the union the Company will cut 65 to 70 jobs in the bargaining unit, advertising employees were shocked to learn about the party at 677 Prime planned for April 2. Ad sales people who earned Publisher’s Awards would get limo rides there!

And that’s not all!

On March 19, the Company is planning another event at the Blue Stone Bistro complete with open bar for online sales.

We’re all for our members in sales getting recognized for good work but the Company is living high off the hog while proposing to gut our contract and lay off almost 30 percent of our members.

A better way to help employees feel appreciated is to stop trying to “minimize” their contract and work with the Guild to minimize job losses instead.

The Newspaper Guild has been asked to let the Company know how many people might be interested in a potential buyout.

In response to the Guild’s request that voluntary reductions be sought first, the Company asked the union to come up with a list of people who might be interested. While this is not the usual route  for a buyout offer, the Guild is trying to do all it can to reduce involuntary layoffs.

Here are the terms the Guild proposed: Employees would get severance as outlined in the contract  (a week for every six months of service, starting with two weeks after six months) and health insurance through the remainder of the year. (We argued that since many members have already paid most if not all of the $750 deductible, they should get the full year’s benefit of the insurance.)

Employees who take such a buyout would still be able to claim unemployment.

If you are seriously interested in this offer, please let the Guild know by 9 a.m. Tuesday by e-mail at office@albanyguild.org or by calling the Guild office at 482-9218. You must provide your name and your name will be shared with the Company. This does not obligate you to take the buyout, but it is essential f or us to be able to provide accurate estimates in the hopes we can save some jobs.