Press Operators’ Union President Charges Chronicle with Intimidation, ULPs

With the stage set for a possible battle between the San Francisco Chronicle and labor unions over recently expired contracts, it appears San Francisco Web Pressmen and Prepress Workers' Union Local 4 has fired the opening salvo. Following a rally held Monday in front of Chronicle headquarters protesting the newspaper’s requests for labor concessions, the union’s president Tony Price now heads into negotiations this Friday. According to Price, there’s a lot at stake, with likely battles centering around publisher Frank Vega’s recent dramatic increase of security cameras in pressroom plants, a proposal for a severe reduction in wages, and changes in worker’s compensation plans made without proper notice that may constitute unfair labor practices.

For Price, difficulties with the Chronicle began two years ago, when Local 4 began pestering the newspaper’s representatives to begin contract negotiations as early as possible. The paper refused, said Price, often by offering unacceptable conditions for negotiations to begin.

“We’ve been saying, ‘when do you want to bargain?’” said Price. “And they’d respond with, ‘unless you’re going to bargain all the agreements in your contract, there’s no sense in talking.’ You know, essentially, ‘give us what we want, give it now, or else.’”

What Price wants now, and what the rally held on Monday called for, is good-faith negotiations between the two sides. Unfortunately, it appears the chances for that may be clouded by the recent arrival of new publisher Frank Vega, known both for his role in launching USA Today and for quashing a Detroit newspaper strike with help from police in riot gear and military-type helicopters.

According to Price, soon after Vega arrived he brought in a new security company. The firm immediately ordered a massive increase in the number of security cameras installed at pressroom plants, where many Local 4 members work.

“I think he was brought out here specifically to intimidate us and cause trouble with the unions,” said Price. “Because along with Vega came Vance Security, which was involved with the Detroit strike as well. Now there’s more than 200 cameras in each press room. It’s like working in a San Quetin-type atmosphere.”

Along with the security cameras came a request for the press operators to accept an average wage decrease of $10 an hour. According to Price, it’s an amount they simply can’t give up, as it would leave many workers unable to remain in San Francisco.

Price hopes to address another issue in the negotiations ahead that involves a change made to the union’s worker compensation plan. Price argues the change did not include proper notification of the employees, which, like the increase in security cameras, should have triggered a mandatory bargaining session. Price now hopes to prove the lack of notification will be proven an unfair labor practices.

The negotiations won’t be easy. Reports have surfaced that Price will be across the table from some heavy hitters during negotiations, including Peter Hurtgen, a former Bush appointee to the National Labor Relations Board.

Yet despite potential roadblocks, Price retains hope about the upcoming sessions. He says that Local 4 will be bringing in experts to examine the Chronicle’s accounting and ascertain exactly how many givebacks his union must give to keep the newspaper operating. He also points to city-wide labor support at their recent rally as a sign of solidarity that could greatly aid them should push come to shove.

Whether it does or not will be revealed in the coming weeks.