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.

In an effort to get employees to swallow all of its demands, the Company today filed notice it would cancel our contract on April 9.

“The message to members is that if you don’t allow the Company to gut your contract, it will launch an unprecedented assault on your union,” Guild President Tim O’Brien said.

Canceling the contract would mean the union would no longer be able to take grievances to an independent arbitrator. The Company also claims it will be able to cease deducting dues from your paycheck. The union disagrees and will seek help from the Guild International.

“This in no way allows the Company to impose the contract language that it wants,” O’Brien said. “It cannot lay people off while ignoring the seniority language or outsource our work. This is meant to force the union to its knees because your bargaining team has stood up for you and continues to stand up for you.”

O’Brien told Publisher George Hearst it was the dumbest move the Company could make. The union has tremendous support from labor leaders in the Capital Region. “If the Company wants to target the union, the Guild will have no choice but to respond in kind, preparing to launch a circulation and advertising boycott should the Company follow through on its threat and cancel the contract.”

The move also came at the end of a day when the Guild leadership offered significant concessions: including a 5 percent across-the-board wage cut, the elimination of overtime until employees have worked 40 hours a week (not just 7.5 hours a day), the end of the bonus day for those who never take sick time.

Later in the day, the Guild offered an amendment to the layoff language, allowing the Company to lay off employees by job title rather than department: Layoffs would still have to be done by reverse order of seniority, a significant give on the union’s part.

The Company said it intends to lay off 20-25 percent of Guild members, but the numbers it provided — 65 to 70 workers — make up closer to 30 percent of the bargaining unit.

And what did the Company come to the table with Tuesday? A regression on its proposal on layoffs. It not only wants to be able to lay anyone off despite how long and loyal their service, the Company added to that today by removing any reference to a rehiring list.

“Every member of the Guild who values their contract and their union will be asked to step up and mobilize effective immediately,” O’Brien said.

The union’s Executive Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Albany Labor Temple to plan its strategy.

Bargaining resumes at 1 p.m. Wednesday. All members who can make the meeting should attend.