A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WITH THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE AND A
FEW OTHER AFFILIATED NEWSPAPERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO FORM A UNION.
LEADERS AT ITS PARENT COMPANY NEWSPAPERS OF NEW ENGLAND INC.
HAVE DECLINED TO RECOGNIZE THE UNION WHICH PROMPTED A VOTE
THAT'S BEING HELD THIS EVENING.
THE ATTEMPT TO UNIONIZE COMES IN A YEAR WHEN SEVERAL NEWS
AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE ALSO DONE SO.
I ASKED BERRA, A MEMBER OF THE PIONEER NEWS GUILD THAT IS
SEEKING UNION STATUS WHY THIS IS HAPPENING NOW.
>> WHY THIS MOVE NOW IS WE AT THE GAZETTE, THE WORKERS THERE
WHO ARE MORE THAN 70% OF US HAVE SIGNED ON AND BELIEVE THAT WE
WANT TO HAVE MORE OF A VOICE IN HOW OUR COMPANY IS RUN.
AND ALSO, IN THE FUTURE AND DIRECTION OF IT.
I MEAN, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, ALTHOUGH WE'LL GET SPEW SOME OF
THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH HOW MANAGEMENT HAS ACTED.
OVERALL, WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE LOVE "THE GAZETTE"
AND WE LOVE LOCAL JOURNALISM.
WE WOULD BE DOING MANY OTHER DIFFERENT JOBS IN MANY OTHER
DIFFERENT FIELDS IF WE DIDN'T LOVE LOCAL JOURNALISM AND WE
WANT TO KEEP THIS NEWSPAPER STRONG AND THRIVING FOR DECADES
TO COME.
>> SO NEWSPAPERS OF NEW ENGLAND INC. WHICH IS YOUR PARENT
COMPANY COULD HAVE CHOSEN TO VOLUNTARILY RECOGNIZE THE UNION.
AT THIS POINT, THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU'LL MOVE FORWARD, AS I UNDERSTAND
IT, WITH A VOTE ON DECEMBER 12TH, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES, WE FILED WITH THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD.
AN ELECTION DATE HAS BEEN SET.
THEY CAN RECOGNIZE US AS THE UNION FOR THE WORKERS AT "THE
GAZETTE" AND "VALLEY ADVOCATE."
IF THEY DO THAT, WE ENTER INTO GOOD FAITH BARGAINING
NEGOTIATIONS.
>> SO THE GAZETTE AND THE ADVOCATE, YOU'RE SINGLING THOSE
TWO NEWSPAPERS OUT.
THEY OWN MANY MORE.
WHY NOT MORE NEWSPAPERS UNDER THAT MANTLE?
>> WE WELCOME ANY OTHER WORKERS THAT WISH TO ORGANIZE AND WISH
TO JOIN THE NEWS GUILD, JOIN THE PIONEER VALLEY NEWS GUILD AND
UNDER NEWSPAPER OF NEW ENGLAND OR ANY NONUNIONIZED PAPER.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS UNION IS THE WORKERS.
AND FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS IS A LONG, YEAR LONG EFFORT OF
US HAVING CONVERSATIONS, TALKING AMONGST EACH OTHER AND DECIDING
THAT WE WANTED TO FORM THE UNION.
THIS IS NOT AN OUTSIDE EFFORT.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, MYSELF INCLUDED, CAME TOGETHER LAST
YEAR AND DECIDED THAT THERE WERE ISSUES.
AND ALSO, THAT WE JUST WANTED MORE OF A VOICE IN THE PAPER.
AND SO THEN WE FORMED IT.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE NEWS GUILD.
THEY DIDN'T REACH OUT TO US.
WE HAVE USED THEIR RESOURCES BUT THE PEOPLE WHO GUIDE THIS ARE
THE PEOPLE IN THE NEWSPAPER ARE THE JOURNALISTS, THE PRESSMEN,
THE MAINTENANCE WORKERS WHO DECIDED THAT THIS IS THE
DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO.
SO REALLY, WHY WE DON'T HAVE OTHER PAPERS AT THE MOMENT IS
THAT, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZING EFFORT HASN'T REALLY BEEN
CREATED OR PICKED UP STEAM AT THOSE PLACES YET.
IF IT DOES AND I THINK MAYBE IT WILL, WE WILL HAPPILY WORK WITH
THEM.
HELP THEM OUT.
GIVE THEM ANY RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW,
WE CAN'T ORGANIZE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR WORKPLACE BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, WE WORK 40 HOURS, SOMETIMES 40 PLUS HOURS DOING
THE HARD WORK OF SELLING ADS, WRITING ARTICLES, PRINTING THE
NEWSPAPER ITSELF.
>> THE DAY-TO-DAY JOB AS IT IS.
>> YES.
DAY-TO-DAY JOB.
>> LET'S GET SPECIFIC AND BASED ON A FEW THINGS YOU'VE JUST
SAID, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP FOR YOU
AND OTHER EMPLOYEES?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WERE
CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THE BASICALLY THE DECIMATION OF THE
GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT AND CHOOSING TO OUTSOURCE IT TO GANETT.
WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A GOOD MOVE OR EXECUTED PARTICULARLY
WELL.
SIMILARLY, THE CUTTING OF OUR AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHY
DEPARTMENT.
WE STILL HAVE A PHOTO DEPARTMENT, THANK GOODNESS BUT
WE DID LOSE A VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE IS BASICALLY INTO A HALFWAY ROLE,
AND YOU KNOW, WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT.
WE HAD A LONG TERM CALENDARS PERSON THAT WAS LET GO.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ALL OF THE
DETAILS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A UNIONIZED SHOP.
BASICALLY, THEY TELL US AND WE DON'T SEE THE BOOKS.
BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, EVEN IF THOSE DECISIONS HAD TO BE MADE, WE
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN IN THE ROOM BARGAINING TO SEE IF WE
TERMS OF HOW THEY LEFT THE PAPER.
AND B, PERHAPS, FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE.
HONESTLY, I WOULD HAVE -- HONESTLY, I PERSONALLY WOULD
HAVE BEEN WILLING TO WORK LESS HOURS AND LESS HOURS A WEEK IF
IT MEANT KEEPING OUR PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF WHOLE AND SOLVENT.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE MESSAGES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AS A UNION
WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED TO MANAGEMENT?
>> WE WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED TO MANAGEMENT THAT WE WANT TO HAVE
-- AND THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING I PULLED OUT OF
THE HAT.
BUT WE BASICALLY WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT WE WANT TO
KEEP "THE GAZETTE" FUNCTIONING AS IT HAS BEEN AS A STRONG,
VIBRANT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER WITH A -- WITH STRONG VIBRANT
EMPLOYEES THAT IS LOOKING FORWARD TOWARDS THE LONG TERM
AND LONG TERM PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY AND VIABILITY AND
NOT SHORT TERM PROFITS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT NEWSPAPERS
OVER MY CAREER.
I'M 30 YEARS OLD.
I'VE BEEN A JOURNALIST FOR 7.5 YEARS AND TO BE QUITE FRANK,
I'VE SEEN THE CUTTING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS MODEL IN OTHER
PLACES.
AND IT JUST DOESN'T WORK.
AND HONESTLY, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN TO "THE GAZETTE"
WHICH IS LOVELY AND THRIVING.
YES?
>> WE DID INVITE YOUR PUBLISHER TO COME IN AND PARTICIPATE AS
PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE E-MAILED ME BACK, WAS VERY GRACIOUS AND SAID
THAT HE THINKS THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND THAT THE COMPANY VIEWS THIS REALLY OVERALL AS AN INTERNAL
EMPLOYEE MATTER.
BUT HE WENT FURTHER AND SAID "THE MANAGEMENT TEAM HERE AT
"THE GAZETTE" IS COMMITTED TO RESPECTING OUR EMPLOYEES' LEGAL
RIGHTS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS AND WE WANT THE ELECTION TO BE
BASED ON THE FACTS AND EACH EMPLOYEE'S PERSONAL DECISION AS
TO WHAT THEY VIEW BEST FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.
WHAT'S TENOR BEEN AT THE NEWSPAPER SINCE IT ANNOUNCED
THEIR DECISION?
>> THE PIONEER VALLEY NEWS GUILD DID ANNOUNCE ITS INTENTION BUT
IT'S LIKE THE WORKERS THEMSELVES ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION.
I KNOW THAT MAY SOUND LIKE SEMANTICS OR SPIN BUT THE FACT
OF THE MATTER IS WE'RE NOT A ONE SIDED ORGANIZATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 70% OF US WENT TOGETHER AND SAID, WE
WANT THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO CALL OURSELVES THE PIONEER
VALLEY NEWS GUILD.
IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S BEEN IN THE NEWSROOM AND OUT BACK, IT'S BEEN
GREAT.
YOU KNOW, AARON, TO HIS CREDIT AND TO OUR MANAGER'S CREDIT,
THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWING FEDERAL LAW.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALLOWED TO, AS IS OUR RIGHT, WEAR OUR NEWS
GUILD LANYARDS AND TO WEAR OUR BUTTONS.
IF ANYTHING, I'VE HAD BETTER INTERACTION WITH MY MANAGER
SINCE THIS WENT PUBLIC AND THE MORALE HAS BEEN AWESOME.
THERE'S MORE TALKING BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AND PEOPLE ARE MORE
CHEERFUL AND WE'RE ALL JUST REALLY WORKING HARD.
I MEAN, I JUST STARTED.
MY FEET WAS SWITCHED AROUND A BIT VOLUNTARILY TO COVER THE
NORTHAMPTON COURTS THIS WEEK.
AND THAT'S BEEN GREAT.
AND IT'S BEEN REALLY -- THAT'S A REALLY GOOD DECISION ON THE PART
OF MY MANAGER AND MY EDITOR AND I REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS HERE LOCALLY BUT NATIONALLY, WE'VE
SEEN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE COME OUT AND ORGANIZE, "LOS ANGELES
TIMES" COME OUT AND ORGANIZE AND THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE STAFF
ALL UNIONIZE OVER THE PAST YEAR.
ANY SORT OF INSPIRATION THAT YOU TOOK FROM THAT MOVEMENT?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE INSPIRATION THAT WE TOOK IS THAT
LIKE IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE AND THAT WE DID NOT
HAVE TO PIONEER THIS.
BUT I MEAN, THE REAL INSPIRATION THAT WE TOOK FROM THIS WAS FROM
OUR FELLOW WORKERS.
AS YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WAS BEING
DISCOVERED THAT THAT WAS AN AWFUL PAY DISPARITY BETWEEN MEN
AND WOMEN IN EDITORIAL AT "THE GAZETTE".
WHEN THAT WAS REVEALED, IT WAS RECTIFIED.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PUT INTO OUR MINDS THAT LIKE WE NEED A
VOICE.
WE NEED EYES ON THE BOOKS.
AND WE NEED TO BE MORE EQUAL PARTNERS WITH IT.
SO LIKE IF ANYTHING, THE THINGS THAT REALLY INSPIRED ME WERE MY
FEMALE COLLEAGUES WHO STEPPED UP AND ADVOCATED FOR THEMSELVES AND
SHOWED SOLIDARITY.
>> SO AT THIS POINT, AS WE MENTIONED, DECEMBER 12TH IS THE
VOTE.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS FROM THERE?
>> SO WHAT HAPPENS FROM THERE IS IT'S A BINDING ELECTION.
IF WE WIN, WE BECOME THE UNION AND THEN WE SIT DOWN AND WE
BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH.
AND WHEN I SAY BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH, I MEAN, YES, THAT IS A
TECHNICAL TERM WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GOOGLE AND LOOK UP IN
TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE TO PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL
AND THEN YOU CAN'T RETRACT IT.
BUT WHAT IT ALSO MEANS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE
TECHNICAL TERM, BY GOOD FAITH IS THAT WE WANT THE SAME THING IN
MANY WAYS THAT MANAGEMENT DOES.
WE WANT A STRONG AND VIABLE "GAZETTE."
I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE WANT IS MORE PEOPLE BUYING "THE
GAZETTE."
IF YOU SUPPORT US, THE WORKERS, IF YOU SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM
AND IF YOU SUPPORT UNIONS, GO BUY A "GAZETTE" SUBSCRIPTION
ON-LINE OR BOTH.
REALLY, AT THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
WE WANT A STRONG, VIABLE "GAZETTE" THAT IS GOING INTO THE
FUTURE AND WE WANT TO BARGAIN WITH THAT IN MIND.
AND THAT'S ALSO GOING TO MEAN MAKING SURE THAT LIKE WE THE
WORKERS ARE TAKEN CARE OF SO WE CAN STAY HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
>> A VOTE ON THE UNION MATTER WRAPS UP AT 8:00 TONIGHT.
WE'LL BRING YOU THE RESULTS TOMORROW NIGHT.