MNG tops in Guild member numbers

Here’s something I just learned: MediaNews employs more Guild-represented workers than any other U.S. publisher. That tidbit was part of the recent Guild Reporter story, "Is Singleton's media empire a house of cards?"

SO, let's fight the fear and take heart as we push ahead together- 300 strong in the East Bay - to secure quality and efficiency where we work!

The empire a house of cards?

The emperor still has clothes but is perilously close to losing his shirt, according to the story, "Is Singleton's media empire a house of cards?" Jack Davis at the San Jose Newspaper Guild (our union brothers and sisters) broke the ground on that question in his piece, A look at Singleton's books. Both are just taking an old-fashioned peek at MediaNews’ SEC filings.

Do you know where your stories are going?

Judging from the most recent employee update, the company is planning to keep the reporting staff bare-boned. “We’re also looking at freezing some positions as they become open through natural attrition,” John Armstrong wrote in his regular e-mail missive. Then I read that MediaNews just signed a deal with Topix.com, that handles the online forums and comments sections people use to discuss articles they read in the papers. The bottom line, spelled out by the Topix folks, is that the deal is a way to stretch copy and reporters further.

In my humble opinion, that sucks. The way it works is that the two companies would share revenue from advertisements on the comment and forum pages. It’s a win-win for them: it creates more readers because comments posted in response to a Raiders article in The Oakland Tribune (just for example – the partnership only applies to two papers right now but the rollout would be complete in 2008) would show up on the BANG Web sites AND on forums on Topix.

What bothers me is that they are trying every way possible - except making the papers better - to hold up the teetering, debt-sustained empire.

Gas price spike leaving reimbursement in the dust?

Gas prices are going nuts again, up to more than $3.50 a gallon. Some folks have long commutes to get to work in our far-flung empire.

Any word about an increase in our mileage reimbursement with this latest spike in gas prices?

The Weekend Rotation draft

Weekend rotations have become a topic because departures are leaving already anemically staffed papers with too few people to spread around. So you get drafted -- like it or not.

With the departure of The Herald's Lothrop reporter, the understaffed paper will be down to five reporters who rotate through a Saturday shift (even though there are people from the Contra Costa Times working and covering much of the same area). Word is that currently a clerk is working Sundays as a reporter but still getting paid as a clerk (another matter for a later discussion).

The question to the masses is, how often, if at all, do you have to work a Saturday or a Sunday shift? I'd like to know how out of whack our rotation is, especially when there's staff already working at The Creek.

12/1: It's Party Time for us - FREE

Meet me at the annual holiday party for Bay Area journalists 7 to 10 p.m. this Saturday, December 1st. The Guild is co-sponsoring this year's party with BABJA, NLGJA, and AAJA. That means all Guild members, their dates AND prospective members get to attend for FREE - free food, free drinks, free fun and free love...whoops. Just kidding.

It’s a chance to shmooze with other reporters – a ritual far too infrequent in the Bay Area. And the whole shindig costs only what you spend on transporting yourself to San Francisco's LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street at Octavia. There’s also an auction for travel and other items, including a Florida vacation package that will be looking mighty good in a few months. Be there or be square!

Many Muni and bus lines run within blocks of the Center, many run within 1 block. To plan your transit door-to-door, visit SF Muni or the Bay Area Transit Trip Planner.

11/27 event: How the Guild got it done in St. Paul

Two weeks ago, the Newspaper Guild in St. Paul and the MNG-owned Pioneer Press signed a four-year contract that was overwhelmingly ratified by Guild members, 159 to 6. The agreement addresses a host of core issues such as job security, pay, health care, training and more.

Join us Tuesday night in Walnut Creek to hear first-hand from Darren Carroll how it's possible with a strong Guild unit to negotiate good agreements with MNG. Darren is a longtime Guild journalist and was a key member of the St. Paul negotiating team.

Not sure if you are a "Guild supporter" yet? Come anyway, and find out what we're all about. All BANG-EB employees are welcome.

Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
1161 Conejo Way, Walnut Creek, near Larkey Park
Home of Chronicle reporter and shop steward Kevin Fagan

For more information on this event, contact:
chall@mediaworkers.org

Health Care: The Guild Difference

Download this new pdf today, share it around!

Merc Layoffs: Has MNG's "efficiency" gambit gone too far?

Who can argue with being more efficient? Not me. But I know when enough is enough. That would be, say, right about the time when it starts taking chunks out of the core of a news enterprise. Like now, when another round of layoffs have left people even more demoralized. What happened to the promise when MediaNews took over the Contra Costa Times and the San Jose Merc: No Layoffs. Yeah right.

"Efficiency" is just doublespeak for management's quest for the bottom line, no matter what (does anyone still believe management when they say they are losing money? The translation is that they're dropping below the outrageous profit margins of the past). That bottom line is bogus because it' the takeover of one paper after another that landed us here. It seems each time MediaNews gobbles up another paper, people get laid off.

Efficiency is fine -- but not when management starts slashing with little regard for the quality of the reporting. You have to wonder at what point the cuts are too damaging to the core...and when management is being "pennywise and pound foolish."

It's hard to see our colleagues being laid off. And it's tough knowing those who are left behind will likely be expected to do more - or at least the same - with less.

Unfortunately, no union can stop ownership from making layoffs. But at least folks are not hanging out in the cold.

You can see for yourselves in the Guild FAQ's, "with Guild representation staffers have been able to negotiate contract language to lessen the blow of layoffs." You all remember the first round after the takeover, right? And that was before we really got rolling.

We can't bring them back but we won't let them just go without pressing on for quality AND efficiency.

So, about that health care program...

Well, this week we finally got to see the new, consolidated MediaNews benefits package for 2008 - and most folks aren't very pleased. This is yet another item we’d have tried to bargain over had the company not illegally withdrawn recognition of our bargaining unit this summer.
It's not just that premiums are up. Though the increases are significant for many of us, we all know this is a national trend.

I've heard more concern about the way the news was delivered, and that it's a unilateral decision in which we had no voice.

Though not all rosy, at papers where there are Guild units and contracts, results have been different (check back soon for a summary). At the Chronicle, the Guild even administers the health care program!

What are your top concerns around the health care situation?

Let’s have a blog dialogue in the comments section...

Singelton goes anti-union on front page...

So much for the firewall! Word's getting around - Romenesko and beyond - about Lean Dean's "embarrassing" tirade in yesterday's Denver Post.

The rare front-page editorial for the Sunday edition of the Denver Post refers to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter as "a toady for labor bosses", "a bag man for unions" and "Jimmy Hoffa." The piece is consistent with Singleton's longstanding antipathy towards organized labor.

"You can be opposed to what the governor does," said one staffer who asked to remain anonymous. "But this name-calling stuff is embarrassing." The language in the editorial was so raw that the staffer predicted some distress among people in the newsroom.

The governor's spokesman, Evan Dreyer agreed that the language was not as professional as an editorial that opposed the governor's order in the Post's rival, the Rocky Mountain News.
"It's fair to criticize the plan and the governor," Dreyer said. But, he added, there are ways to disagree without getting personal.

Management getting union-busting training?

Looks like everyone in management got an e-mail about mandatory training on union-busting. Anyone else heard about this?

I've heard editors are being schooled in how to detect the slightest trace of unionizing activity at the Costra Costa Times.

What IS up with this anti-Guild crusade they're on? Wouldn't it be just a little more productive to invest their time in, say, training us on the new front end system, Jazbox (are we supposed to play it like a sax or what?) -- BEFORE it's installed? Or how about using their time to figure out how to make a better paper? Or how to keep the company going without laying off (okay, let's just say it: firing) more people?

Chime in, folks: what do you think management could be doing with the time they're using to keep us from having a union?

The Wire's David Simon speaks on new Guild Web site

A great news business lie: 'We're going to do more with less'Exclusive Interview with The Wire creator David Simon on the sexy as all get-out, spanking new NoCal Guild Web site:http://mediaworkers.org/

Be sure to check the post about our One Big BANG campaign in the comments...