Notice From The Union

August 3, 2006

Dear Fellow Packaging Department Employees,

The Management at the Union Tribune, has once again shown everyone just what they think of their hard-working employees, by forcing us to bid on a schedule specifically designed to cause hardship on their workers. Our Union immediately filed charges with the NLRB to try to stop this unilateral change. This will take sometime before it is resolved. There is no reason for us to just wait around helplessly waiting for a decision. The union strength is in its members. We are many, while the Management trying to disrupt our lives are few. By sticking together, we can do things ourselves, that can make a difference.
The Union Tribune is obviously relishing its role as the "BULLY." With this new schedule, they have in effect, just punched us in the gut and tokk our lunch money away. They are now waiting to see what we are going to to do about it. We now have to take a stand against the bully and hit them back twice as hard, that they themselves suffer, forcing them to think twice before trying to pull any more stunts like they with our schedule.
Right now, Management is really proud about what they have done to us. They are walking around feeling good that they are cutting our full-time positions, and forcing others to take demotions and switch shifts that they have been working for years. They are proud that they are trying to take benefits away from us and our families, as well as cut everybody's pay. They must be proud, to keep those yellow papers prominently posted in the bulletin case, to rub our faces in with what they are trying to do to us. We say let them be proud, BUT make sure they stay proud when we let the public know what the self proclaimed "Watchdog of the Community" is doing to their employees and their families. We'll see how proud the Company stays, when they are forced to defend trying to take away benefits from the community's working families, along with trying to cut our pay and hours. We need to help the Company show off all their actions, which have made them so proud. We need to share with the community what is going on here, so the so called "Watchdog of the Community" will themselves be held accountable for all the vindictive actions they are taking against the members of the same community that they claim to be watching out for.
So in the very near future, the Union will be organizing informational drives to get the message out to the community. We will need everyone to show up to these events to help get the information out, since it is in our members that we show strength. The Bargaining Committee will keep everyone posted as to when and where we will be handling out information, so everyone can participate. We hope to see everyone at these events, so we can once and for all show our "BULLY," that they have stepped on the wrong people.

Sincerely,

Your Negotiating Committee

Steve Olkowski Dwight Wilson Ken Hughes Lynn Huiffman Benny Tatoy