By: Joe Strupp The Denver Newspaper agency, the JOA arm of The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, began negotiations Tuesday with three of its largest unions over a DNA request for $18 million in wage and benefits give backs, the Denver Business Journal reported.
The DNA has told the unions it needs the concessions to help renegotiate $130 million in debt sparked by improvements to its printing plant to avoid default, the report said.
?Both sides agreed to share ideas,? the unions that include the Newspaper Guild, Denver Mailers Union No. 8 and Denver Typographical Union Local 49 ? said in a joint statement Tuesday night.
?In the opening session, they discussed concepts relating to the restructuring of the business model and how that might be achieved to secure the future of the company, including ways to generate additional revenue and reduce costs,? the statement said, according to the Journal
A second meeting is planned for Monday, said Newspaper Guild official Tony Mulligan.
Teamsters Local 961, representing drivers and press workers, is holding similar talks with DNA management, the paper reported.
Meanwhile, a Newspaper Guild bargaining unit for Post newsroom workers held separate talks Friday with the newspaper?s owner, Denver-based Media News Group, which wants $2 million in concessions, the paper said.
?Both the Post and the News, owned by E.W. Scripps of Cincinnati, have been losing money recently amid steep advertising declines and circulation losses,? the Journal added.
The News is also up for sale and is threatening closure if a buyer cannot be found.
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