Guild Fights Back as Albany Paper Cancels Contract, Pursues Outsourcing

Ignoring pleas from concerned readers and refusing to budge on layoffs outside of seniority and potential outsourcing, the Albany Times Union newspaper in New York has cancelled its contract with The Newspaper Guild-CWA.

Members of the Albany Newspaper Guild in New York hold an informational picket and rally after Hearst Newspapers canceled the union's contract after months of bargaining.

Although negotiations that began nine months ago are continuing, management so far is determined to cut jobs and benefits and send work out of state.

"The company is hellbent on wanting to lay off employees regardless of how loyally they have served, and to outsource jobs," said Tim O'Brien, president of the Albany Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA Local 31034. "And because it could not convince our members of the rightness of its cause, it launched an unprecedented attack on our union."

The paper, which employs about 250 TNG-CWA members, wants to cut at least 65 jobs, most of them from union ranks. It wants the right to proceed with layoffs without regard to seniority, and is demanding the right to outsource any TNG-CWA work at any time. Potentially, the paper's layout could be outsourced to Texas, putting some copy editors out of work. Guild leaders say advertising and circulation representatives, feature writers and business office staff are also at risk.

The company is refusing to offer any wage increase, but only a lump-sum payment that wouldn't become part of workers' base pay. It also wants workers to pay more out of pocket for health care.

Writing about the cancellation on their website, Guild leaders said, "You might as well change the name of the paper to the Times Anti-Union." The newspaper is owned by the Heart Corporation. The Guild contract expired last Aug. 1.

Because of the cancellation, union members have the right to picket, strike, and launch boycotts. The day the contract was canceled, 70 TNG-CWA members and union allies picketed in front of the newspaper offices.

"What's sad is that there has been a long-term positive relationship between the Guild and management," TNG-CWA President Bernie Lunzer said. "Hearst Corporation is bent on destroying that in the name of control."

With financial help from TNG-CWA international, the Albany Guild has begun an advertising campaign and other community outreach. "The reality is this is a union town," O'Brien said. "The Times Union can expect the phones to start ringing off the hook with calls canceling the newspaper. We told the company the day it first threatened this that it was the dumbest thing the company can do. They ignored us at their peril."