Update: Boston Globe Unions Agree to 5% Pay Cuts; NYT to Dump The Boston Globe; No Bailout for Newspapers
UPDATE:
Unionized employees at the New York Times newspaper on Monday ratified a 5 percent pay cut, according to a memo obtained by Reuters.
New York Times newspaper employees who are members of the New York Newspaper Guild voted 377 to 36 to ratify the pay cut agreement, which includes 10 additional paid days off, while Guild members at the Times’ digital unit ratified the agreement by a 50-0 vote, according to the memo.
The Guild members signed off on an agreement with New York Times management last week designed to save the newspaper $4.5 million.
It has been reported that the New York Times will rid themselves of their subsidiary, The Boston Globe.
Both papers are having trouble making ends meet and the New York Times must dump another paper line if it is to save some money.
Unions have a significant presence at newspaper companies and talks were underway to negotiate before making the final decision on the future of the paper.
Earlier today the Union representatives walked out during the talks. However, it appears that the negotiations may resume a little later today or tomorrow.
The Boston Globe and its biggest union are “taking a break” until later Monday or Tuesday on talks about concessions that parent company The New York Times Co says are crucial to save the newspaper.
The union and management suspended discussions early Monday morning. They have not set a time or location for the next round of talks, a source familiar with the matter, but unauthorized to discuss it, told Reuters.
The Times Co had set midnight Sunday as the deadline to extract $20 million in cost cuts from its unions to avoid closing the Globe, which it said could lose up to $85 million this year.
The Times stepped up pressure on the unions, saying it planned to file notice with the U.S. government that warns it could shut the paper down in 60 days. Negotiations on cost cuts could continue even after that filing.
I personally think that if the paper cannot sell in this market and model its reports to be middle of the road, rather than liberal and biased, then it deserves to go under. Free markets dictate that those companies who make poor business decisions will not stay in business.
Thankfully, at this moment in time, the Obama administration does not plan on bailing out the newspapers:
Obama Administration PR Flyover Debacle
I’m not sure if this was a photo op that was not thought out properly, or this was just some horribly cruel prank. The Administration had a chance to apologize for their gaffe, flying over New York City at such a low altitude, causing fear and traumatic images of 7.5 years ago. This flyover was so taboo, I’m not sure how anyone in their right mind would have thought it to be a good idea.
This unnecessary scare (in which various people fainted and had heart trouble), was brought to you by your taxpayer dollars. I hope to find out exactly how much that cost us yesterday. I think it’s also important to find out how much it cost industry when employees and personnel were evacuated from their buildings in the middle of a workday.
Would the flyover and the reaction from the citizens of New York count as torture? I would assume that the fear, the rise in blood pressure, and the increased heart palpitations could be grounds for “torture,” if we are going by liberal standards.
Aircraft that is flying that low into a city that already saw the same trajectory and air altitude from two other planes can distinctly remember what happened 7.5 years ago. Many of those citizens experienced post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and I’m sure that being reminded of that day, today, was not very conducive to recovery.
Take a look at one of the videos of those reacting to the planes today:
Now take a look at Robert Gibbs’ lack of empathy, sympathy, humility and plain emotion; in fact it almost seems like he thought it was a big joke. He couldn’t even answer the questions, but we are to believe that Obama and his administration are just so incredibly intelligent and qualified to lead this country:
My very favorite response was from Mayor Bloomberg (republican) who said exactly how I felt after hearing about this story and seeing the video clips.
Those of us who lived near New York City growing up and knew people who were killed in 9/11 don’t take incidents like what occurred today lightly.
