Fate of 'Star-Ledger' in Hands of Other Papers' Drivers, Too

By: Joe Strupp The fate of The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. will not rest only in the hands of its 90 drivers voting today on a new contract. Some 1,700 drivers represented by the Newspaper and Mail and Deliverers Union in the New York area may also vote on the new deal, according to a union executive.

"Everyone votes on each other's contracts in our union," said James DeMarzo, vice president of the local that has forged a new deal with the Advance Publications' paper. "That is the process we have because they can work at each other's facilities, if there is work."

The drivers union, which includes members at the New York Post and the Daily News of New York, will allow voting until 10 p.m. today. The union is the last of three Star-Ledger bargaining units to forge new deals requested by management, which threatened last summer to put the paper up for sale if the new agreements are not reached.

At the same time, the paper sought and apparently got more than 200 non-union workers to take buyouts. Those takers, many of whom will receive one-year's salary, have until Wednesday to change their minds.

"I'm hopeful," said Donald Newhouse, president of Advance. "If the drivers vote for the agreement, we will continue to own the Ledger. I am just hopeful."

The paper has 1,412 employees, with about half represented by unions.

Two weeks ago, Star-Ledger Publisher George Arwady sent an e-mail to workers that set a Jan. 5 shutdown date if agreements or a sale are not reached. He also wrote that notices of a potential sale or closure would be sent to employees that week.

DeMarzo said allowing all of its drivers in the area to vote on the contract makes passage less-assured. But he believes the threat of a sale or shutdown indicates how serious the situation is. "It is a positive contract, I see it passing," he said. "We don?t want to take a chance."

The Star-Ledger's largest union -- which represents about 400 mailers -- voted last month to approve a new contract that includes a three-year wage freeze and the buyout of 100 of its members.

Newhouse and DeMarzo declined to offer specifics of the drivers agreement. "I'd rather not discuss anything related to the Ledger other than that the drivers are voting," Newhouse added. "But we are hopeful."