The Minneapolis Star Tribune is often called the "Red Star" Tribune by residents of Minneapolis for its long-time, virulently left-wing outlook. Many has been the time when the editorial board of the Star Trib has carried water for political candidates shilling for big labor.
The STrib endorsed Obama for president for his supposed fiscal responsibility as well as his focus on the working classes. It is well known that big labor was solidly behind Obama and have been getting payoffs every week since the January inaugural.
But that was then. Now-a-days the STrib is not so keen on unions. In fact, it is so put off by unions that it is going to court to have its contract with its printers union annulled and asks for new terms to be imposed by the courts to save the paper from going bankrupt. Apparently, unions are fine for politicians as far as the STrib is concerned, but when it is faced with real life union demands, well, the courts are asked to save them from union excess.
The Star Trib has been fighting the unions for a few years at this point as its sales flag and its finances wane.
The Star Tribune is asking a bankruptcy judge to cancel its contract with its 116-member printer's union and impose new terms that would save the struggling newspaper $3.5 million a year.
The debt-laden newspaper claims the local has failed to enter serious negotiations for concessions made necessary by the sharp decline in advertising sales.
The company wants the pressmen to accept lower wages and new work rules that would reduce staffing and overtime requirements.
In the fantasy land of editorial boards and the starry-eyed political blather that so often goes on in big city news rooms so naturally tilted to the far left, it is interesting to see what a paper does when confronted with real world decisions. It's great to be the big union supporter in the editorial department, but not so great in the accounting department.
Do you smell that smell, STrib? It's reality.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
It really does depend on
February 21, 2009 - 06:53 ET by motherbeltIt really does depend on whose ox is being gored, doesn't it?
I'll bet if they could get bailout (read: other people's) money to placate the unions, they wouldn't care about it.
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY...
February 21, 2009 - 07:07 ET by danybhoyDid'nt FDR love the labor unions, except he prohibited them from gov't jobs? Do as I say, not as I do.
"...it's still We The People, Right?" Megadeth
Do As We Say, Not As We Do!
February 21, 2009 - 07:18 ET by GeneralAlS - Socialist
T - Taring
A - Apart
R - Rules
T - To
R - Remake
I - Its
B - Big
U - Union
N - Nobody
E -Employees
Yep, unions apply to everyone else, not the STrib! With liberals, there are always two Americas! One for them and one for us. Just like the Commies that they so admire, only the working man has to abide by the rules. This is what burns me as a retired union worker. The members so often get a sandwich screw job from their union and company at the same time!
It is all about greed
February 21, 2009 - 07:18 ET by richb313It is all about greed. That is really the crux of the problem. I am all for collective bargaining but the reality is that sometimes there is no way to save someones job or salary. It is better to have a job at a lower salary than no job at all. The more that both the unions and the companies that have given into the demands of both the Unions and Upper Management the more that the health of those companies have suffered. The job holder must realise that his loyalty should be to the company he works for and not the Union that represents him. This can also be said of Upper Management. The real reason that so many companies will fail is because most people have forgotten this basic rule, no company no job.
It would take much to long to try and explain the real reasons that newspapers all over the nation are failing, but greed is at the core of all the reasons. If newspapers were really worried about the health of thier own companies they would have taken steps years ago to ensure the health of thier various enterprises.
Two Americas
February 21, 2009 - 08:52 ET by Mark_for_SenateWe are finally finding out what that ‘Two Americas’ slogan the Democrats constantly harp about really means. One for them, and one for ‘the rest of us’. The ‘rest of us’ apparently are the great masses of innovative, hard-working, law abiding, product producing, job creating and taxpaying average American citizens. Then there exists the Democrats. They want to raise your taxes because they don’t pay theirs (the new Secretary of Treasury as prime example). They don’t want any lobbyists in an Administration unless they ARE the administration. They believe in free speech (and dissent) only if THEY believe in that speech. All other ideas are vilified as ‘hate speech’ and legislation is considered to silence it. They believe in free elections unless of course there may be a chance a Republican candidate might actually win (see Illinois’ Rolland Burris story). Yes. There are rules to follow, laws to obey and common sense for all to adhere. But not for Democrats, only for the ‘rest of us’. Is that how America became the greatest Country on Earth? History proves otherwise. The ‘new’ government sounds more like a tyranny to me with two sets of rules: One for them, and one for the ‘rest of us’. Our Founding Fathers were brilliant. ‘We the People’ are the only ones that can save America. That means We the ‘rest of us’ must VOTE! Eliminate Democrats from all levels of Government, or soon you will only be a ‘subject’ for their pleasures. Wake up America!
To know and not do, is to not yet know
Heh, heh. Welcome to the
February 21, 2009 - 09:32 ET by Andrew H.Heh, heh. Welcome to the real world of union bosses and their disdain for members. They want dues and power and all else doesn't matter, including losing plants. I've seen and heard them--"would rather close it down then back up on anything."
Liberalism is a convenient lie.
In years past when I
February 21, 2009 - 10:25 ET by MidAmericaIn years past when I worked as a union member I was often derided because I wasn't 100% behind whatever the union officials told us what we believed. I tried to see what the balance was between our wants and what the company needed for them to compete. That's not what a proper union member does. You don't think. You follow. But..... when these die-hard union members needed work done on their houses or with other issues they avoided union places because they were too expensive.
Union
February 21, 2009 - 10:44 ET by doug1950Many, many years ago I too was a union member and you are right. You are not suppose to think or ask any questions, just do what the union tells you to do or vote the way they want you to. Get out of line and they want to talk to you so you can get your head on "straight", otherwise you get tagged as a troublemaker and usually do not last long in the union.
I guess we're all fiscal
February 21, 2009 - 11:32 ET by Cranky GordonI guess we're all fiscal conservatives now.
Davis-Bacon Pork and Greed
February 21, 2009 - 11:49 ET by slickwillie2001This is too funny. Let's note however that Obammy's donkey-poo bill does require union workers for the government projects that it funds, so he's not like FDR in that respect.
Re 'greed', greed is something we can only see in others. When O'Reilly negotiates his new contract and goes for $10 million a year over his present $6 million, he thinks it's because he's worth it, and would never admit to greed. The same Hollywood glitterati that rail on about evil big business are first in line for big salaries, percentages and residuals for their next movie until the cows come home, but of course that's not greed. And the greedy people that Maher wants to hang aren't going to be UAW management, or California Public Employees Union, or Long Island Railroad union management either. This pent-up rage we are seeing against 'greed' tends to come down to either ignorance, envy, or anti-business Marxist philosophy.
Unions-a thing of the past
February 21, 2009 - 12:36 ET by Miket53Miket53 http://mtaricani.blogspot.com/
In a recent speech by Obama he talked about making the unions strong again which will help the economy. Funny...I thought unionized workers make up only 12% of the American workforce. The help is needed by the remaining 88% of workers...average American non-union workers. If the auto industry wasn't so unionized they would not be in trouble. By of course the Democrats are only looking for votes...not real solutions to Americas problems.
Oh, yes, unions bring
February 21, 2009 - 13:09 ET by lnthompOh, yes, unions bring prosperity. That's why the most unionized states have the worst unemployment rates, and the right-to-work states have the least unemployment. Perfect liberal logic.
Lee T / USN(ret) / Oregon City, OR
When responsible people make mistakes, responsible people bear the burden. When irresponsible people make mistakes, responsible people bear the burden. -- UserFriendly.org, 2/12/2009
How dare American workers
February 21, 2009 - 21:51 ET by RR GOPHow dare American workers organize and try to increase their wages and benefits and create safer working environments!
Since when is this un-American?
To sit back and take what they want to give you is Socialism.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Why pay dues for someone
February 22, 2009 - 07:00 ET by Andrew H.Why pay dues for someone else to talk to management? Labor rates are based on market--and the more value one can bring to the product, the more value he or she is to the company... and paid more. Being a drone who decides to learn nothing, do nothing extra and simply do time in a routine job will earn what the job is worth.
Liberalism is a convenient lie.
"How dare American workers
February 22, 2009 - 21:26 ET by astonrickenbach"How dare American workers organize and try to increase their wages and benefits and create safer working environments!"
That is fine. But when you push a company to bankruptcy since they cannot afford to pay for the wages and benefits then what? Interesting to me that Japanese car makers built 8 new auto mfg plants in THE US and make money but US automakers need money from the gov.
"Since when is this un-American?"
It's not, but it is also cause and effect. In my mind Unions have long outlasted their usefullness. Seems to me the primary roll of Unions these days is forcing companies to continue employing sub-par employees that would have been fired from any other company.
"To sit back and take what they want to give you is Socialism. "
I don't understand your statement. Please clarify.
I run a small company and my employees can decide to become Union to get a bigger slice of the pie. You know what I'll do the day they become union, fire all of them.
Star Tribune
February 21, 2009 - 22:41 ET by sccWith a month into President Obama's term, I believe that fiscal responsibility thing went out the window.
-----
February 22, 2009 - 08:21 ET by dahliatraversGood post, Warner.
Hopefully, the Star Tribune has gotten an insight that other so-called "anti-union" companies may not have been anti-union after all but might, in fact, have been placed in similar, precarious situations by an overly energetic union.
I'll believe
February 22, 2009 - 08:57 ET by Warner Todd HustonI'll believe it when I see it. Like most lefties, I am sure the Star Trib sees no logical fallacy in wanting everyone elese to live by rules they want to get out of.