LET’S GET AMERICA WORKING A MESSAGE FROM GENERAL PRESIDENT JAMES P. HOFFA NEWSPAPER he Teamsters have had enough of workers becom -

ing an afterthought in Capitol Hill policy decisions. T There needs to be a way to bring a bipartisan collec - tion of lawmakers together for the good of regular work - News ing men and women who are just trying to support their families. And there is one – infrastructure investment. James P. Hoffa, General President | Ken Hall, General Secretary-Treasurer | Joseph Molinero, Conference Director A better transportation network would help both truck - ers and the owners of their cargo more efficiently move goods across the country. It would help workers get to their jobs more quickly. And increasing the flow of energy like oil and natural gas would lower prices for consumers New Opportunities in Pittsburgh and businesses. Plus, construction work would create Post-Gazette Invests in New Press good-paying jobs. Rebuilding America is the key to the nation’s future. ecently, the owners of the Pitts - health, safety and welfare of Americans and the U.S. Whether it’s building new roads or fixing old bridges, the burgh Post-Gazette newspaper, idea is a winner not only for workers but the business economy. Let’s get America working and revive our na - RBlock Communications, Inc., an - community. It’s rare when Congress can help two con - tion to the shining city on the hill it once was again. nounced a plan to establish a new stituencies with one plan. This is it. production facility and install brand new press equipment. Post-Gazette Now is the time to think big. To ignore the need for employees working in the transporta - such a massive program will result in catastrophe for the tion and circulation departments are members of Teamsters Local 211 in Pittsburgh. The new press replaced the letter - press press lines that were located in the downtown building. The Pitts - burgh Post-Gazette was one of the last newspapers to use letterpress and flexographic presses for the pro - duction of their printed product. The

high cost of consumables and lack of

) y l p p a y a m s e t a r a t a d d n a e g a s s e m ( spare parts were large factors in the decision to move to newer offset tinues to have strong newspaper combine operations from five old equipment. readership and a customer base com - buildings into this new site. “Our members are having to mitted to the print product. The own - The press was installed during the adapt to the new printing methods ership evaluated their options and summer of 2014, while other produc - and revised needs of publications chose the keep the product printed tion operations came online soon af - such as the Post-Gazette,” said Joe locally and set out to modernize to re - terward. The press went live on Molinero, President of Local 211 and duce costs. September 8, 2014. The new press is Director of the Teamsters Newspaper, The owners signed a long-term capable of printing 40 pages, all full Magazine and Electronic Media Divi - lease on a facility that had been re - color, in a single pass, and can be sion. “These are still good union cently built to produce solar power split into two presses to run multiple jobs. Hopefully this new press will se - panels. A global downturn in solar products simultaneously. The Post- cure a future for all of us at the news - power manufacturing, and a subse - Gazette previously had to rely on out - paper.” quent bankruptcy, made the 245,000 side printers for some of their

Building a new facility bucked a square foot building available just products, and this new press will

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t i f o r P - n o N tunately, the Pittsburgh market con - operations into this new facility, and additional means of revenue. A MESSAGE FROM DIVISION DIRECTOR JOSEPH MOLINERO NEGOTIATIONS FOR OUR COMMITMENT STRONG CONTRACTS TO THE Locals in INDUSTRY Maryland, New York Hold the Line s the printing industry contin - ues to change, we are wit - ecently, local Anessing some employers, unions with such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rmembers at the and Albany Baltimore Sun, Al - Union-Times, con - bany Union-Times tinue to invest in and Hamilton News new and im - have been steadily negotiating terms for proved equip - new contracts. The ment. The cities owners of the Albany they are located Union-Times, wanting in have shown a to cut costs, pur - commitment to chased a new printing the printed press in order to print Chicago Hudson medium and, commercial products therefore, publishers have heeded in addition to the News Workers See the call and carried through with newspaper. Weekly News their plans to expand or re-energize “We have about 57 members working in the mailing depart - Wage Increase their business. ment at the Union-Times, and we are going to keep these good for Working Families For the Division, our plan is to union jobs in Teamster hands,” said Stefan Krueger, Secretary- Treasurer of Local 126 in Albany. “Our members have a long Warehousemen and Drivers Benefit keep as many jobs as possible in tradition of quality work at this newspaper and we will continue the union. We’ve always been part to be part of the newspaper’s success.” pproximately 21 drivers and warehouse workers with of the success of the newspaper in - Contract negotiations are also ongoing at Hamilton News dustry and we intend to continue Hudson News started receiving bigger paychecks this where Local 126 members are drivers and deliverymen for the month after Teamsters Local 710, based in Chicago, having an active role in the product A magazine service. “We are working with the company to get the secured new increases to their hourly wages. they decide to transition to, fairest possible terms for our members,” Krueger said. Local 710 representatives took advantage of a wage re - whether it’s using new, more eco - At the Baltimore Sun, members working as mailers from opener with the employer ahead of comprehensive con - nomical presses or other changes. Local 888 have been in negotiations for a new contract since tract negotiations scheduled for next year. The Teamsters, Although the web has caused December of last year while the pressmen and drivers, mem - who work in suburban Des Plaines, received wage in - some publications to fold, our bers of Local 355, are just beginning talks with the company. creases of 3.5 percent—a stronger raise than rank-and-file members at national, regional and “Due to the drop in the Baltimore Sun’s circulation, the pub - members were previously scheduled to accrue. local newspapers continue to print, lishers (The Tribune Company) made the decision to buy, and “The previous contract at Hudson News guaranteed therefore, print, The Baltimore City Paper, New York Daily News, bind, collate and deliver an extraor - workers a 2-percent raise, but Local 710 had an opportunity Maryland Gazette and Korean Times,” said Jim Deene, a busi - dinary percentage of the nation’s to negotiate higher and increase the bottom line for our ness agent with Local 355. members,” said John T. Coli, International Vice President news. Our commitment to the “We are consulting with the Teamsters Strategic Research newspaper industry remains and Trustee of Local 710. “Since organizing with the Team - and Campaigns department so that we can work toward getting sters, these members have gained considerable ground strong, our values remain rooted in the best contracts possible,” said Lawrence Geho, President of with wages and benefits, seeing improvements over five working-family priorities and we Local 888. “Between Local 888 and 355 coordinating our bar - years that really respect the work they put in each day.” are open to change and our adap - gaining and the advice from strategic campaigns, and working The drivers and warehouse workers fulfill orders des - For more information, to listen or subscribe, visit tive role in alternative ways of cir - with the Newspaper Conference, we are in a good position to tined for O’Hare International and Midway airports, and www.teamster.org/podcast culating the news. advocate for our members.” other area locations, for the popular news service company.

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