Posted on 08/22/2006 1:51:16 PM PDT by abb
REGRETTABLY, The Blade today finds itself in a labor dispute with the people who traditionally have mattered most to the company: our employees and their families.
We wish it were not so. We wish that it had not become necessary to utilize a management prerogative with an unfortunate sounding name - a lockout. So we believe it is instructive to explain for our readers, and indeed, for our own workers, why we are at this point.
The simple truth is that The Blade is bleeding financially and cannot continue to operate indefinitely under such circumstances. The company would not be proposing wage reductions and other concessions if our economic situation were not so severe. Our unions, in fact, do not dispute that our financial condition is dire. One of them, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, has already accepted a new contract.
Part of the problem is human nature. When economic times are good, it could be argued that management has little incentive to settle, because costs will only go up when they do. Conversely, when times are bad, unions have no real motivation to accept a new contract that will reduce wages because delay means they can keep getting paid at their old levels.
That is where we find ourselves, and it is why we have initiated a lockout of some of our employees. The company considers a lockout to be the management equivalent of a strike by labor, and we believe it to be a legitimate tool in collective bargaining.
Blade employees are paid extremely well. Over the years our labor contracts have provided our employees with outstanding pay and fringe benefits, and many have spent their entire careers here as a result. But though these contracts procured labor peace, they kept our profit margins relatively small.
(Excerpt) Read more at toledoblade.com ...
The simple truth is that The Blade is bleeding financially and cannot continue to operate indefinitely under such circumstances.
Ping
Just wondering how many times the Blade has supported other business' lockout decisions.
Good riddance, Toledo (Gay) Blade.
Your list to port has led to your foundering. May you pass below the waves quickly.
It's just further proof that the liberal media is dying and the golden goose aka unions, are dying.
A day after a nine-member union at The Blade was locked out by the company, the newspaper's labor leaders yesterday asked advertisers and subscribers to boycott the paper.
Makes a lot of sense for the Union to seek to make the situation that necessitated the company to seek concessions worse doesn’t it?
They could raise their newspaper rates a nickle a day. What's a nickle a day? You can't even buy a cup of coffee for a nickle a day - who would miss it?
Management can't continue to be so stingy that they would jeopardize the livelihoods of so many longtime employees. Middle-class folks live from paycheck to paycheck, where does the Blade expect their employees to makeup the lost income?
;-)
It's a real bite when editorial positions come back onto editors. Suddenly they sound downright Republican.
Settle up so we can get back to normal.
Press Release Source: The New York Times Company
The New York Times Names Chandler Burr as Its First-Ever Perfume Critic
Tuesday August 22, 3:21 pm ET
Fragrances Will Be Reviewed In New Column Appearing In T: Style Magazine
''Scent Strip'' Fragrance Column Will Debut on August 27
Thanks for the ping!
just when you think they hit bottom... the union breaks out the heavy equipment and starts digging overtime!!! A day after a nine-member union at The Blade was locked out by the company, the newspaper's labor leaders yesterday asked advertisers and subscribers to boycott the paper.
Unions at Blade seek boycott of ads, subscriptions Quick Click
It is not printing??
you ruined my day... its still printing??
what the heck is a 9 member union???
The ONLY reasons to read the Blah: the Peach Section and Sunday's store ads. Not worth paying for. BTW, the Toledo Free Press, although it only comes out once a week, is a much better read.
They're still alive - for now. Be patient. Enjoy watcing them suffer and wail and moan...
Passed through Toledo (from Detroit) on a road trip this spring. One of the major freeways was under construction (completely closed), the Westgate area (which used to be for high-end shoppers) looked like it had seen much better days than the present (nice way of saying boarded up buildings and tacky payday loan stores abound). Thank God for Tony Packos for lunch (possibly the only ambiance the city has left). What is to be expected from a city that calls it's baseball team the "Mudhens?"
Don't knock the 'Hens. They have a great new ball park.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.