In The News: CWA Applauds Advertiser’s Protest Over Newspaper Offshoring

A St. Louis car dealer temporarily pulled his ads from the Post-Dispatch because he's angry that the newspaper is sending advertising typesetting jobs to India — work now done by CWA-represented printers.

Dave Sinclair told the city's alternative newspaper, Riverfront Times, that he's cancelled all ads for about five weeks. "It's going to cost them $25,000 to $30,000,"  he said. "I'm not trying to be a rabble-rouser, but I wanted to make my point clear. Here we are talking about jobless rates in the United States and they're shipping jobs overseas."

A total of 12 printers will be laid off as typesetting work is sent to India, said Kevin Kujawa, president of CWA Local 6300. Although the printers' contract can't stop the company from moving the jobs, he said the local is negotiating severance packages for the laid-off members and possible job retraining funds.

"Dave Sinclair is one of the area's biggest car dealers and he promotes 'Buy American' in all his advertising," Kujawa said. "It's great to see him back up his words with action."

CWA Printing Sector Vice President Bill Boarman applauded Sinclair. "This car dealer gets it," he said. "Who is going to buy his cars if we keep sending American jobs overseas? It is a shame that more advertisers don't understand this fundamental."