Journal Register Co. files for bankruptcy - again

Alden, who formerly owned MediaNews before their merger. Basically BIg Bad Dean and Paton will get theirs, everyone else will get theirs in the ass.

 

Found out this morning that the Macomb Daily and Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, Mich.), union papers in the same office, are planning to strike Monday. One worker at our nonunion shop was ordered to go there as a scab.

 

Unions ... bad!

 

Worker should call out sick that day. What's JRC going to do, fire him? They've already fired him. And the other company hasn't taken over yet, so he doesn't have to do anything they say until April 2.

 

I worked at a call center when I was 20 and a bunch of people called in sick the last day before the branch was sold to a different company. Everyone was technically going to be terminated fom the old company and hired on as employees for the new company. Everyone who called in sick wasn't hired by the new company.

 

Then they collect unemployment then. They've been fired, and they don't have the other company offering them the job. Yeah, I realize it's a financial hit, but they're already taking a hit with the paycut, the increased health care costs and the lack of vacation time. At some point, you have to group together and hit back.

In your case, it was a "bunch of people". But what if everyone in your center had done it? What would have happened then?

If your call company was large enough, they could just have the other workers take the calls until new staffers were hired. But if it was as small as the paper (I'm guessing just a few dozen workers at most), they'd have some major production problems. Plus, in your case, you have "everyone technically was going to be hired". I don't think that's happening in this case. I think they're shedding a few jobs. If nobody's in the office to receive the new company's job offer, then there's no job offer.

 

The Macomb Daily/Daily Tribune have a new contract and the boycott's over, but there's been some bloodletting. Ten paginators were canned, and five will be brought back for less pay. Our guy still had to go there today.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130401/NEWS05/130401068/Unions-end-boycott-of-Journal-Register-owned-newspapers-after-ratifying-new-labor-contracts

 

So Baron's plan fell through?

 

They got their wages and health insurance contributions frozen, instead of taking a paycut, and the new JRC was going to shed the jobs anyway by going to 3-day publication.

It's the same deal the other unionized papers received. Deal should have been reached several weeks ago, except the company wanted to try to take a hard line with the union.

Relatively speaking, it's a win for the union. They could have just rolled over and had the jobs shed and worked for less pay and benefits.

 

The closing's been delayed, but only for a few days, it appears:
-------------------
All Employees -

Last week Journal Register Company announced April 2 as the sale date to 21st CMH Acquisition Co. The closing process is continuing and is expected to be finalized by week's end.

Thank you,
Jonathan



Jonathan Cooper
Vice President
Media Relations & Employee Communication
Digital First Media

 

Well, we got word today that everyone in our department at a nonunion JRC shop is keeping their jobs and salaries. There's a question as to whether our vacation time will be affected, but frankly, I'm relieved that we've got our jobs.

And, I know that several union workers at nearby JRC papers weren't so fortunate.

 

Good, hope it works out for you.