Globe issues ultimatum: unions must settle or face closure

[Muttocracy]

Source: Boston Globe

May 4, 2009 12:10 AM ET

By Robert Gavin and Keith O’Brien, Globe Staff

WEYMOUTH — With a midnight deadline approaching, Boston Globe management tonight issued an ultimatum to its four major unions: Agree to major financial and contract concessions, including the abolition of lifetime job guarantees for some workers, or the paper’s owner, The New York Times Co., would file a plant-closing notice with the state.

The notice, required under federal law, would allow the Times Co. to carry out its threat to shutter the 137-year-old newspaper in 60 days.

‘‘We have provided our unions with a copy of a notice that we are prepared to file if we are unable to reach an agreement by the midnight deadline,’’ Globe spokesman Robert Powers said. ‘‘This notice is required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires 60 days advance notice before the closure of a business. Filing the WARN notice is a difficult step that we would like to avoid but, unfortunately, given the state of the negotiations, it is one we must be prepared to take if negotiations are not successful.’’

If the notice is filed, Powers said, the paper would continue to publish through the 60-day period.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/globe_issues_ul.html

---

more at the link; thread earlier today: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3859839

[MADem]

1. This is a ghastly moment for Boston. The fucking Herald SUCKS.

The Globe is no great shakes since NYT acquired it, but damn....the Herald sucks.

Good bird cage size, that's about it.

[Triana]

2. Busting what little is left of the unions everywhere seems to be the mantra...

...of the corprat hooligans in this economic collapse.

AS IF that's going to improve a damn thing. It won't. Quite the opposite.

[Double T]

3. Looks like unions no longer have choices; concede or go out of business.

The GD corrupt corporations have unions in checkmate.

[blindpig]

11. The unions have an option

Take over the plant. Sit-down strike. Show everybody that labor is superior to capital and the dogs of management.

[Why Syzygy]

4. They are still talking.

It's not my job, but I don't think I would vote to concede. Too bad the unions can't start their own papers.

NY Times Co., Boston Globe talk past deadline

By DENISE LAVOIE – 13 minutes ago

BOSTON (AP) — Amid threats of a shutdown and allegations of bullying, talks between The Boston Globe's unions and its owner have continued well past a midnight Sunday deadline as the sides seek to agree on $20 million in concessions to keep it open.

The newspaper's largest union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, says it has offered more than the $10 million in concessions demanded of it by the newspapers' owner, The New York Times Co.

But the Times Co. still threatened to close the newspaper. The Guild calls the move a "bullying" tactic.

A Times spokeswoman said early Monday talks are continuing.

The issue of lifetime job guarantees is expected to be a sticking point. The Times Co. wants to eliminate the guarantees while the head of the newspaper guild says those are nonnegotiable.

The Globe is expected to lose $85 million this year.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkzBYoal_s1ms77Fzrfv3jMppZggD97V86KO0

[w4rma]

5. If they had the investment money they could. (nt)

[Amonester]

6. It's difficult to adapt to this new era of "paperless" comunication.

The business of newspapers is declining, and it will soon be gone.

Hope this decline will save huge forests and tons of water from pollution.

It's unfortunate for the union workers, but it helps slow down the destruction of nature.

This is not to say the Internet (computers) doesn't produce its own share of that destruction (pollution)...

[Muttocracy]

7. I just hope a model can be developed for real journalism in its place

which blogs and the couple dozen heads on the TV don't quite provide.

Amy Goodman has a good model I guess.

[Rebubula]

8. This is just the first wave

Print Newspapers are going to be extinct in the next ten years...and this is very sad to me as there is little in this world that makes me happier than getting a newspaper and going to Tastee Diner in Bethesda, MD for breakfast.

However, it is what it is. The Teletype gave way to the telephone. Stagecoachs gave way to motorcars. This is the natural progression of technology.

It is sad, but fighting the inevitable will just leave you frustrated and bitter. This has nothing to do with unions or being anti-print news - this is just the way of the world.

[bunnies]

9. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dont take mah Globe!!!!!!! :cry: This is horrible!!!! :cry: :cry:

[madrchsod]

10. i suppose we`ll have to go back to handbills and weekly newspapers

...as long as there are people who believe in printing words on a piece of paper we will still be able to feel the news.