Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Questions about consolidation

MediaNews' copy desk consolidation plan is in effect, and more papers are potentially scheduled to move operations to San Gabriel very soon. As plans for a universal desk move forward, our goal is to ensure that our members are heard, and that this transition is as effective and trouble-free as possible. To meet that goal, we need your input.

We are reaching out to anyone on the copy desk, union or otherwise, about LANG's plans for a universal copy desk.

In order to learn how the plans will affect you, we've drafted this survey. Please click on the link and fill it out when you have the time.



The goal we hope to achieve from the survey results is it to develop a better
understanding of copy editors’ concerns so we can help our Guild
members there reach out to and better frame discussions with the non-
union folks.

If your operations haven't been consolidated yet, what is your biggest concern?

If you're already working at the universal desk, what needs to be improved?

We know you have ideas that can make this work better, and create a more stable and effective work environment. With your help, we'll bring these ideas to the company and push for coordination to examine areas that can be improved or modified.

For instance, one of our Daily News CEs said that leaving a slot editor and designer at each paper to would help maintain local identity and ensure accuracy.

2 comments:

  1. I know that the guild is doing what it thinks is right for the members. As a non-guild employee that voluntarily left the paper last week I want to tell you that you ARE NOT. When a publication such as the LA Daily news gets down to so few people the goal should be to keep the best and the most talented.

    But thanks to the guild that is not what is happening. You are fighting to keep people based only on the fact that they have been there "forever". In my opinion you are going to have a hand in killing the Daily News and LANG. As guilty as you all think publishers and owners are you are just as guilty. SHAME ON YOU!!!

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  2. There are too many times a union is perceived to be making the "wrong" move when it comes to dealing with management. Pushing for seniority stays in its talks with the Daily News is actually one of them, especially at this point when there are so few talented people left in the business. It's going to be a do-more-with-less situation in San Gabe and if we want newspapers to survive, it's going to take the very talented to keep it afloat from our end. We don't want the newspaper ship to sink just because we don't have enough talented people left to row. Talent and diverse skills is what it boils down to, not who was born first or signed on first.
    Correct your ways and keep people believing that unions are the smart way to deal with management.

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