Colleagues,
From the beginning, we have fought to bring as many of you into the Los Angeles Times Guild as possible so we could work together for better pay, benefits and job protections in our newsroom. Tronc hopes to make our campaign more difficult by sowing confusion about who can and cannot vote.
About 70% of the newsroom signed Guild authorization cards in support of our union. That’s a big number, and it was still growing when we filed for the election. Now, Tronc is trying to erode that support to diminish our strength at the bargaining table.
When we reached an agreement with Tronc and the National Labor Relations Board last week on when the election would be held, we agreed on the job titles that would be in the bargaining unit and eligible to vote. Tronc has since violated that agreement by attempting to remove dozens of employees from the voter list: some line editors, the audience engagement team and the hub, among others.
We’re appalled that Tronc’s executive team — including Ross, Lewis and Jim — is trying to disenfranchise dozens of employees and undermine our democratic choice. This disrespects our newsroom and demonstrates why we need a union: to make sure all our voices are heard. Tronc doesn't decide who gets to vote.
We’ve attached our agreement with Tronc, which you can read in full.
Here’s a list of titles of employees in our newsroom bargaining unit who are eligible to vote: All full-time and regular part-time editorial employees, including the following: Admin Department I, Admin Department I-FIN, Admin Department II, Anlst Photo Systems, Asst Editor, Asst Editor Editorial Pages, Asst Editor Features, Asst Comm News & A/P, Asst Comm News & Circ A/R, Asst Editorial, Bureau Chief, Columnist, Columnist/Critic I, Columnist/Critic II, Coord Administrative, Correspondent Photo Foreign, Designer, Designer Sr, Designer/Artist CN, Editor I Multiplatform, Editor II Multiplatform, Editor Arts & Entertainment Topic, Editor CN Online, Editor Digital, Editor Digital Sr, Editor Features Deputy, Editor News Deputy, FLSA Interim Job Profile (Nonexempt), Journalist Graphics & Data, Journalist Graphics & Data Sr, Librarian Sr, Mgr Test Kitchen, Photographer, Photographer CN, Producer, Producer Multimedia, Reporter I, Reporter II, Reporter CN, Spclst News Operations, Spclst Photo, Trainee Editorial Metpro, Video Journalist and Writer Editorial Pages.
And these are the titles of employees who are eligible to vote subject to challenge: Mgr Multiplatform Editing, Asst Editor CN I, Deputy Editor TV, Dir Design Deputy, Supv Library, Rep Readers, Editor Video, Mgr Photo and Supv Multiplatform Editing.
If your position is subject to challenge, you can still go to the polls and vote. Even if your ballot is challenged, it will remain secret. After the election, we will continue to fight to have your vote counted, and to include you in the union.
This is our moment to unify the newsroom and safeguard the future of the Los Angeles Times and its journalists.
If you have questions, contact us.
See you at the polls on Thursday, Jan. 4.
-- The L.A. Times Guild organizing committee