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Inquirer/Daily News owners threaten to liquidate company, demand union givebacks
"While bullying and scare tactics might be have helped at least one of the owners to make his millions, that's a horrible way for a company responsible for publishing newspapers vital to the public trust, to operate."
Inquirer/Daily News owners threaten to liquidate company, demand union givebacks
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"Interstate General Media today threatened to liquidate or sell the assets of the company" on January 18 "if it does not reach tentative agreements with all of its unions, including the Newspaper Guild," according to a Guild email today to members.
The owners also announced a new round of buyouts, even as they continue to hire young new reporters. The new owners, led by parking magnate Lewis Katz and South Jersey Democratic political boss George Norcross, had already sent newsroom morale into the tank last October with a flurry of unpleasant reassignments widely perceived to be an effort to push some older reporters to take a buyout.
Though other unions's contracts expired in October 2012, the Guild's is in force until October 13. Management is not willing to wait. Last summer, the Guild says the owners asked for voluntary pay cuts before the contracts was up--$8 million in wages and benefit givebacks.
The letter notes that when the new owners "acquired the company in April, Interstate General Media was well aware that the Newspaper Guild had a contract in place through October 2013. It was also at this time that owners George Norcross and Lewis Katz both stressed how much the newspapers meant to them and how they were in this business for the long haul."
The Guild letter also lands a blow on Norcross, noting that "while bullying and scare tactics might be have helped at least one of the owners to make his millions, that's a horrible way for a company responsible for publishing newspapers vital to the public trust, to operate."
I'll be writing a more about this. People in the newsroom with something to say can email me at daniel.denvir@citypaper.net.
Here's the full letter:
Dear Guild member,
Interstate General Media today threatened to liquidate or sell the assets the company, which owns the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com, as of January 18, 2013 if it does not reach tentative agreements with all of its unions, including the Newspaper Guild.
As you know, our contract expires in October 2013 while the other ten union contracts expired in October 2012.
Last summer, IGM ownership asked that the Guild volunteer to take pay cuts a year ahead of our contract expiration in order to help the company which was hemorrhaging money. The company seeks to cut $8 million out of our wages and benefits.
While bargaining with the other unions, the company shamefully, and repeatedly assured the other groups that the Guild would be opening its contract and giving concessions at this time. Nice of them to have such confidence that we simply couldn't wait to give up our pay.
When they acquired the company in April, Interstate General Media was well aware that the Newspaper Guild had a contract in place through October 2013. It was also at this time that owners George Norcross and Lewis Katz both stressed how much the newspapers meant to them and how they were in this business for the long haul. We will not be held out as scapegoats, to be blamed for not bargaining a new agreement while we have one standing. The owners are smart businessmen who do not leap into business deals or investments blindly.
While bullying and scare tactics might be have helped at least one of the owners to make his millions, that's a horrible way for a company responsible for publishing newspapers vital to the public trust, to operate.
As an example of the kind of fiscal foolishness we are dealing with, at the same time it threatens us and claims to be on the verge of liquidation, Interstate General Media is also issuing a buyout program today, using money it claims not to have to get our members to leave.
The company also continues to hire.
We are unwilling to once again bail out an ownership group without full access to the company's books and a realistic discussion of future revenue plans.
In solidarity,
Dan Gross, President,
Bill Ross, Executive Director, and the Executive Board of the Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America Local 38010
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