By: Joe Strupp Unionized pressmen at The Star Tribune in Minneapolis have agreed to some 24 layoffs and unspecified salary cuts, according to Minnpost.com.
The online news outlet reported the deal was approved by a 72-5 vote.
"The one Strib union that held firm against concessions last summer, the pressmen were finally undone by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain's threat last week to invalidate their ten-year contract," Minnpost reported. "According to the union's lawyer, Andrew Staab, 24 members of the 116-person local will be laid off."
"There will be a request for volunteers. If there aren't enough volunteers, then there will be layoffs in order of reverse seniority," Staab said in an e-mail statement. "Those who stay will see wage concessions, and there are different percentages with each category. Just accept there are wage concessions."
The layoffs follow 19 such job cuts late last year, the story added, noting "as recent events have shown, a Strib contract isn't necessarily worth the paper it's written on. Management can ask to reopen negotiations at any time. The paper's mailers accepted a deal Sunday that mandates negotiations if the Strib's revenue falls a certain amount. It's not known if the pressmen agreed to such a codicil.
"It's also unclear how the new deal affects recent talk about combining print operations with the Pioneer Press. The St. Paul pressmen's deal expires in March 2010."
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