Plucky Union Defeats Major Newspaper

[Seymour Flops]

Drove it out of business, in fact. Great job!

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www.npr.org

MARUCA: Members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh were on strike for three years after the Block family, who owns the paper, unilaterally changed their employment terms. The union returned to work at the end of last year, after a court decision ordered the owners to return to bargaining. Shortly after the start of January, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the owners' application for a stay in reinstating health care for the workers. Only a few hours later, the Blocks announced the paper would be closing down, citing years of financial losses. Andrew Goldstein is the head of the Post-Gazette's union and covers education at the paper. He says longtime union members are no stranger to threats from ownership.

ANDREW GOLDSTEIN: When they couldn't break us - as they - as we have now proven they cannot break the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh - then they decide to take their ball and go home?

Note to Goldstein: Key phrase - "their ball." You thought you could simply "demand" that they keep operating at a loss to keep the union happy, and keep the dues flowing to you?

Even with the conflicts with ownership, Goldstein says the prospect of losing the paper altogether is harrowing.

GOLDSTEIN: Not just the fact that we, you know, may very soon lose, you know, close to 200 jobs, but the fact that, you know, the Post-Gazette is something that gives Pittsburgh its identity as much as, you know, the Steelers or Heinz.

Yeah, Goldstein. I do know.

Do you? You didn't know it when you decided to break the newspaper, but have you figured it out now?

Nothing wrong with a union using the power of collective bargaining to get a better deal for the workers. That a key check on the power of the capitalist. Unless government steps in and puts a thumb on the scale. No court order can make a company survive expendatures forced on it by that court order.

Well, if Goldstein is really concerned about Pittsburghers losing part of their city's identity, his fears are likely unfounded. After the paper shuts down for a while and Goldstein is organizing his next self-agrandizing strike of another business, someone will buy the paper and restart, without the drain of unions.

Congratulations, Andrew Goldstein!

 

[otto105]

Drove it out of business, in fact. Great job!

Loading…

www.npr.org

MARUCA: Members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh were on strike for three years after the Block family, who owns the paper, unilaterally changed their employment terms. The union returned to work at the end of last year, after a court decision ordered the owners to return to bargaining. Shortly after the start of January, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the owners' application for a stay in reinstating health care for the workers. Only a few hours later, the Blocks announced the paper would be closing down, citing years of financial losses. Andrew Goldstein is the head of the Post-Gazette's union and covers education at the paper. He says longtime union members are no stranger to threats from ownership.

ANDREW GOLDSTEIN: When they couldn't break us - as they - as we have now proven they cannot break the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh - then they decide to take their ball and go home?

Note to Goldstein: Key phrase - "their ball." You thought you could simply "demand" that they keep operating at a loss to keep the union happy, and keep the dues flowing to you?

Even with the conflicts with ownership, Goldstein says the prospect of losing the paper altogether is harrowing.

GOLDSTEIN: Not just the fact that we, you know, may very soon lose, you know, close to 200 jobs, but the fact that, you know, the Post-Gazette is something that gives Pittsburgh its identity as much as, you know, the Steelers or Heinz.

Yeah, Goldstein. I do know. Do you? You didn't know it when you decided to break the newspaper, have you figured it out?

Nothing wrong with a union using the power of collective bargaining to get a better deal for the workers. That a key check on the power of the capitalist. Unless government steps in and puts a thumb on the scale. No court order can make a company survive expendatures forced on it by that court order.

Well, if Goldstein is really concerned about Pittsburghers losing part of their city's identity, his fears are likely unfounded. After the paper shuts down for a while and Goldstein is organizing his next self-agrandizing strike of another business, someone will buy the paper and restart, without the drain of unions.

Hilarious

Did the owners of the paper demand their suppliers charge less? Demand higher prices for their product.

A business that has lost a fucus on its customers blames worker wages for its failure.

 

[JoeB131]

Well, if Goldstein is really concerned about Pittsburghers losing part of their city's identity, his fears are likely unfounded. After the paper shuts down for a while and Goldstein is organizing his next self-agrandizing strike of another business, someone will buy the paper and restart, without the drain of unions.

Congratulations, Andrew Goldstein!

Or more likely, it won't start up because no one reads newspapers anymore.

 

[excalibur]

What happened decades ago in NYC with multiple newspapers and breweries.

 

[JoeB131]

What happened decades ago in NYC with multiple newspapers and breweries.

Yes, big corporations keep busting up the unions, and then keep wondering why no one has money to buy their products.

I used to buy both Chicago Newspapers every day. I stopped doing that in 2008 after George W. Bush brought us yet another recession. The Tribune busted up their union back in the 1980s. Now the Tribune costs $2.00 a copy, and there's barely anything in it. They fired their columnists (including the noxious John Kass, who has gone full crazy on his website).

 

[Seymour Flops]

Hilarious

Did the owners of the paper demand their suppliers charge less? Demand higher prices for their product.

A business that has lost a fucus on its customers blames worker wages for its failure.

I thought you were kidding at first. You're serious right? Demanding that suppliers charge less, or demanding that customers pay more is the solution to union demands for higher compensation?

It is a fantasy world in which people do things because other people "demand" that they do.* Suppliers charge the market rate and readers of a newspaper pay what they are willing to pay for a subscription. You didn't mention the paper's adverstisers, but they will also pay what they judge the space to be worth. They will not pay more because the paper "demands" it in order to meet union demands.

As the stopped clock JoeB131 pointed out, newspapers are going out of style in the age of instant news. Something that union boss should have taken into account.


*Actually, there are some weak kneed people who cave to silly demands, such as "use my pronouns," or "confess your racism," but not for things that cause loss of business.

 

[JoeB131]

I thought you were kidding at first. You're serious right? Demanding that suppliers charge less, or demanding that customers pay more is the solution to union demands for higher compensation?

It is a fantasy world in which people do things because other people "demand" that they do.* Suppliers charge the market rate and readers of a newspaper pay what they are willing to pay for a subscription. You didn't mention the paper's adverstisers, but they will also pay what they judge the space to be worth. They will not pay more because the paper "demands" it in order to meet union demands.

As the stopped clock JoeB131 pointed out, newspapers are going out of style in the age of instant news. Something that union boss should have taken into account.


*Actually, there are some weak kneed people who cave to silly demands, such as "use my pronouns," or "confess your racism," but not for things that cause loss of business.

But you missed the other point I was making, which is when you are busting up unions, and forcing people to economize, they stop reading newspapers because newspapers are a luxury item.

Replacing Newspapers with "Whatever garbage you find on the internet" hasn't improved civic discourse.

 

[Seymour Flops]

But you missed the other point I was making, which is when you are busting up unions, and forcing people to economize, they stop reading newspapers because newspapers are a luxury item.

Are you serious? People no longer read newspapers because unions are not as strong as they used to be? People would not read newspapers if they were free. Not with free internet providing them the news. Especially since they can shop for which kind of bias they want to get their news with, instead of the editors deciding what they see and don't see.

Replacing Newspapers with "Whatever garbage you find on the internet" hasn't improved civic discourse.

No, and replacing horse and buggies with automobiles did not make the streets less noisy, but that is progress for you.

 

[JoeB131]

Are you serious? People no longer read newspapers because unions are not as strong as they used to be? People would not read newspapers if they were free. Not with free internet providing them the news. Especially since they can shop for which kind of bias they want to get their news with, instead of the editors deciding what they see and don't see.

The problem is the stuff you get for free isn't worth it, because most of it is misinformation.

No, and replacing horse and buggies with automobiles did not make the streets less noisy, but that is progress for you.

Not really a good analogy. Most people couldn't afford a horse in buggy back in the day when that was a thing. All their jobs were within walking distance of where they lived. That's part of what made unions crucial. If one factory controlled the best jobs in a community, then making sure that factory paid a fair wage was important.

Now, if you don't like your job, you can drive further to get a better one, which is nice, but with the One Percenters driving wages down, in the long term, we are going to have a society with just a few very rich and a lot of very poor. And we all know how that eventually turns out.

 

[Seymour Flops]

The problem is the stuff you get for free isn't worth it, because most of it is misinformation.



Not really a good analogy. Most people couldn't afford a horse in buggy back in the day when that was a thing. All their jobs were within walking distance of where they lived. That's part of what made unions crucial. If one factory controlled the best jobs in a community, then making sure that factory paid a fair wage was important.

Now, if you don't like your job, you can drive further to get a better one, which is nice, but with the One Percenters driving wages down, in the long term, we are going to have a society with just a few very rich and a lot of very poor. And we all know how that eventually turns out.

View attachment 1208667

Oh, I miss the days when newspapers were relevant, also.

If the average a person today in america can afford a car.While the average person in america a hundred years ago could not afford a horse.And buggy, that shows that your income gap is closing.

 

[JoeB131]

Oh, I miss the days when newspapers were relevant, also.

If the average a person today in america can afford a car.While the average person in america a hundred years ago could not afford a horse.And buggy, that shows that your income gap is closing.

Not really. It just shows we can make such things cheaper.

Good luck affording a car nowadays in the Trump economy.

 

[initforme]

Blaming unions is lame. Not buying it. Fake news as its always been.

 

[BULLDOG]

I thought you were kidding at first. You're serious right? Demanding that suppliers charge less, or demanding that customers pay more is the solution to union demands for higher compensation?

It is a fantasy world in which people do things because other people "demand" that they do.* Suppliers charge the market rate and readers of a newspaper pay what they are willing to pay for a subscription. You didn't mention the paper's adverstisers, but they will also pay what they judge the space to be worth. They will not pay more because the paper "demands" it in order to meet union demands.

As the stopped clock JoeB131 pointed out, newspapers are going out of style in the age of instant news. Something that union boss should have taken into account.


*Actually, there are some weak kneed people who cave to silly demands, such as "use my pronouns," or "confess your racism," but not for things that cause loss of business.

Just as the advertisers and suppliers you mentioned have the right to determine what their products cost, the unions have that same right.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Just as the advertisers and suppliers you mentioned have the right to determine what their products cost, the unions have that same right.

Sure. Absolutely they do.

And then the employers have the right not to buy that "product" from the union.

The union members can gloat and laugh about how they beat the owners, as they are standing in the unemployment line using each other's backs as desks to fill out the forms.

In that scenario, the union bosses who called the strike typically keep their union bossing jobs, though . . .

 

[BULLDOG]

Sure. Absolutely they do.

And then the employers have the right not to buy that "product" from the union.

The union members can gloat and laugh about how they beat the owners, as they are standing in the unemployment line using each other's backs as desks to fill out the forms.

In that scenario, the union bosses who called the strike typically keep their union bossing jobs, though . . .

Only if the membership agrees with their actions.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Only if the membership agrees with their actions.

Yes, they often bring it on themselves, assuming that the Union bosses count the votes honestly.