Apparently, things are heating up in The Blade's newsroom as the union feels the pressure.
On Friday, August 25th Blade worker Paul Hem, a systems analyst, posted a notice informing other employees in the newsroom and prepress area that Blade employees had a choice whether or not to be unionized. Minutes later, his notices were ripped down by a union member. Mr. Hem claims that while he did not personally observe the activity, people who requested anonymity informed him of the details of the offense. Mr. Hem also claims that he knows who the person(s) was(were), but hopes that they will "come to their senses" and allow employees a choice as to whether or not they wish to be represented by a union.
Let's see what heppens next.
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4 comments:
"Hey, why not give them the choice, that way they can be free to earn $8.00 hr while the Block family rolls in $$.
So... You believe that it is bad for employees to have free choice? And that if the unions stay that the Blocks would not "roll in $$?"
I understand that you don't like the commercials and the Blocks "rolling in $$," but that is about all I could determine from your reply.
So, IS free choice bad? Were the union people justified in attempting to squash free speech because the unions are inherently good, while free choice is bad?
Is it really free choice considering the present circumstances?
In an earlier time, it wouldn't appear to be so coerced.
Right now, the Blade's management is just running through a cleverly crafted script designed to cause this kind of disagreement.
To my way of thinking, they won't be through until either the unions are broken or they peddle this rag to some other publisher.
Either way, their intentions seem quite clear.
The right of an owner to decide how they want their business to be run isn't the issue Hem brought up - It is definately one of the issues in the labor/management conflict.
No one is locked IN The Blade. So, those who disagree have always had the right to leave and find other employment. So they should NOW, if they can't work under the deal that management has offered. I'd say a loss of US$10 mil./yr. for a business of that size is a good reason to restructure and do things differently, don't you?
"Right now, the Blade's management is just running through a cleverly crafted script designed to cause this kind of disagreement." Now, hooda, that seems a tad condescending. Hem has been in business for over 30 years. Only 10 of which have neen working for a newspaper. I assure you that no one plays a script and has Paul Hem dance to it.
So, regardless of the script, isn't tearing down the information Hem posted really just another example of forced unionism's disregard for the basic constitutional rights of workers?
Hell, if The Blade's management wants to get rid of the union, that's THEIR business. If an employee agrees with them, then he should not be summarily dismissed as a dupe of the owners. Perhaps Hem has always disliked unions and their ability to bring performance in a firm to the lowest common denominator? Maybe Hem has valid complaints against the union? Perhaps The Blade's management is finally meeting Hem's expectations by making the unions actually negotiate?
My point is that there are many other explanations for Hem's position rather than falling for a "a cleverly crafted script." Of course, here in Toledo the unions are all powerful, while the small businesses flee southward to "right to work" states.
Berserker,
”Now, hooda, that seems a tad condescending. Hem has been in business for over 30 years. Only 10 of which have neen working for a newspaper. I assure you that no one plays a script and has Paul Hem dance to it.”
I’m not saying Paul is “dancing” to the blockhead’s whole script, but his actions here were prompted by the block script, in this one instance.
I don’t think anyone is “dancing” to all parts of any script, but there are some hot button pushing antics bein engaged in, by the Blade.
”So, regardless of the script, isn't tearing down the information Hem posted really just another example of forced unionism's disregard for the basic constitutional rights of workers?”
Although I may take issue with some of your characterizations, tearing the information down does seem to be more union sponsored and provoked, than blade sponsored. The motivations behind the teardown however, lies with the perp.
By the rest of your response, I sense that you might have anti-union leanings, as do I, the truth were to be told.
No matter, IMO, in the long run the result is likely to be a wholesale crushing of the unions at the Blade, followed by an announcement of a sale of this paper.
I think that this has been the Block plan since the last labor contract was signed, hence their carefully crafted script; they’ve had a long time to work on it.
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