LA Times Guild Urges Members to Attend This Week’s Bargaining Session: ‘We Are Not Letting Up’
After the first work stoppage in the history of the LA Times on Friday, guild leadership encouraged members to “observe bargaining” with management on Wednesday to keep up the momentum as negotiations continue.
In an email sent to guild members on Monday and obtained by TheWrap, leadership thanked staffers for their support on Friday’s walkout and encouraged them to continue fighting.
“The excellence of the Times is at risk,” the note continued. “We are fighting to protect the institution, and one another. We should be proud.”
“Let’s carry that energy into this week,” the note encouraged.
According to the Guild, “Management was clearly unnerved by our actions last Friday. We need our managers to know we are not letting up.”
The note urged members to join the guild’s negotiations with LA Times management on Wednesday to “observe bargaining,” which will take place at 10:30 a.m. PT.
“Management needs to know they are not making deals in a vacuum but rather facing a united unit, hundreds strong, that will not stand back and watch them destroy the L.A. Times through cuts,” the email reads.
“Management will continue trying to pit us against each other,” the Guild continued.
According to the email, LA Times management gave the guild an ultimatum, “choose whether the company would keep its promises on diversity or keep its promises on seniority.”
“Our members were clear: It’s a false choice,” the email said. “Attractive buyouts make both possible.”
“And the red herring about the bargaining committee not holding a vote?” the note continued. “Here’s the vote: More than 90% of us walked out.”
This comes as management reportedly is looking to lay off about 100 staffers, equivalent to nearly 20% of the newspaper’s staff.
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