April 3, 2007

Lockout continues in Toledo

The Chicago Newspaper Guild has offered to pay the health insurance costs of one family affected by the lock-out situation at the Toledo Blade.

At the March executive board meeting, the board unanimously agreed to contribute $800 a month for three months to pay for continued COBRA coverage for a family suffering from the effects of the lockout.

“We’ve been negotiating with the Toledo Blade Company for over a year now,’’ said Toledo Guild President Lillian Covarrubias. “Now their legal team, the infamous union-busting firm of King and Ballow and the company have launched an all-out assault on families with which they have had labor peace for more than 40 years.’’

In August of last year the company illegally locked out 215 full-and-part-time workers in an attempt to coerce the two unions, the Guild and the CWA Typographers to go out on strike so that those workers could be permanently replaced.

“It didn’t work,’’ Covarrubias said. Instead all the unions of the Toledo Council of Newspapers launched a boycott against the newspaper.

In December the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued complaints about the company’s actions.

Meanwhile the lockout has taken its toll on the locked out workers. Unemployment compensation ran out March 1 and on April 1 all 215 workers will lose their health  insurance.

 “Just one uninsured medical emergency can mean economic devastation for these workers.’’

“The Chicago Guild has a long tradition of helping out working families suffering from the anti-labor actions of bad companies,’’ President Mike Ulreich said. “They used to say “An injury to one worker is an injury to all’’ and it’s about time we all got back to that sentiment.’’

As reported in the latest Guild Reporter, even though editorial employees have not been locked out, more than a third of a newsroom that once numbered 120 employees have left the paper because of the lack of a foreseeable future.

“We don’t even have parties for (those who are leaving) any more,’’ said Guild spokesman Larry Vellequette. “It’s sad, but true.’’