Pioneer Press union employees launch a web site to promote ESOP plan

[katinmn]

http://www.savethepioneerpress.com/index.cfm

NWU-TC Members and Friends:
The future of Minnesota's oldest newspaper, The St. Paul Pioneer
Press - and the jobs of more than 900 people - is at stake. The
newspaper's corporate owner, Knight-Ridder, will eventually be sold
to McClatchy, the corporate owner of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
McClatchy is handling the sale of the Pioneer Press and a number of
other union-represented newspapers it has decided not to buy. The
employees at the Pioneer Press, led by members of the local
Guild/Typo Union-CWA, have launched a website:

www.savethepioneerpress.com

I urge you to visit the site and learn about the employee stock
ownership purchase option that the union is backing which will be
open to all employees: union represented, non-represented and
management. The union would not own the paper. It strongly backs the
ESOP option.

Developments on the pending sale are expected to move quickly. Some
have speculated newspaper purchases could be completed in a matter of
months. The job market for freelance workers will be affected by the
worst case scenarios - like massive newsroom cuts or the closing of
the paper. Putting more journalists into the freelance pool would
serve to pull freelance rates even lower than they are.
Keeping Minneapolis-St. Paul a two paper town is important to each
community, civic involvement and democratic values.

With best regards,
Tom Lonergan
Dual member: NWU-TC and Guild/Typo CWA Local 37002

[Love Bug]

1. I certainly support the workers and hope they keep their jobs but,

I'll never forgive the PP for endorsing bush in 04. I won't spend a nickel on their paper and won't even visit their website.

I'd like to see a better group take over this paper and replace the rightwing editorial staff. Then I would reconsider my position.

[CatholicEdHead]

2. I believe most Knight-Ridder papers did that in 04

that it was mostly a corporate memo from above. The Grand Forks Herald is another one off the top of my head that did it.

[lakeguy]

3. i won't forgive them either but who makes the call to endorse?

i don't believe they had a company wide vote on it and I would guess that at least 50% of the employees would not have done the same assuming that a high percentage lived in and around St. Paul.

what you're saying would be the same as the world saying they won't support anything (even the good, like unions) that the US does because "we" voted for bushco. the union is trying to influence who takes over the PP. i would like to believe that would be a good thing. i'll be the first to admit though, that i know little about this particular union.

[Minnesota Raindog]

5. It would be nice to take this paper back from the GOP

The first to go should be Mark Yost on the editorial page.

[Wapsie B]

4. I would love to see the employees take over the PP.

Corporations like Knight-Ridder control too much of the media. We need to take control of newspapers, TV and Radio stations away from these giants. This would be a step in the right direction.

I remember when living near the Cities I'd find myself reading the St. Paul paper a lot.