Press conference and picket at San Jose Mercury News

Workers, Union and Community
Supporters to Hold Press Conference
in Front of San Jose Mercury News to
Protest Outsourcing and Union-Busting

Faced with imminent layoffs and management’s refusal to negotiate a contract in good faith, workers from Northern California Media Workers Union Lo. 39521-CWA and community supporters will hold a press conference and picket in front of the San Jose Mercury News, at:

12:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 26
in front of San Jose Mercury News
750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose

Among those immediately affected are almost 30 workers in an advertising-production department of San Jose’s main daily newspaper. The company has announced it will lay off all the Composing Room workers on July 1, the day after the contract runs out. Editorial workers, members of the San Jose Newspaper Guild, are also facing layoffs of up to 25 percent of their workforce, by the combining of departments in Media News Group.

Media News Group owns 26 newspapers in northern California; the Mercury News is one of its most recent purchases. The corporation recently settled a lawsuit filed by Clinton Reilly, which charged Bay Area media monopolization by Dean Singleton’s Media News Group and the Hearst Corp.

Gloria La Riva, Typographical Sector president of the Media Workers Union, Lo. 39521, which represents some of the affected workers, said, “Media News Group’s gutting of jobs would create extreme hardship for employees of the Mercury News and other newspapers in the area.

“The company plans to move some of the work of our members to India, where the workers there will earn far less in wages. But we also know that most of our work will remain in the San Jose plant, much of it under non-union conditions.

“We vigorously denounce this union-busting and outsourcing scheme. We have absolutely nothing against the Indian workers, and Dean Singleton is the only one who will benefit. With the extra profits his company gains from outsourcing and layoffs, he will expand his newspaper empire to the detriment of the workers and community.”

Jim Harper, the union’s shop steward at the newspaper and a 26-year employee, said, “Some of us have spent our entire working lives here. Now the company wants to sweep us out the door like sweeping dust under the rug. We are speaking out to let the public know we are fighting to keep our jobs. We ask the advertisers and the community of the San Jose area for their support.”

Employees in MNG’s Pleasanton and Contra Costa offices have already lost their jobs through outsourcing to Express KCS in India. Media News Group’s profits shot up to $13.3 million during the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2006, up from $982,000 during the same quarter the year before, due to acquisitions which included the Mercury News.

The Newspaper Guild San Jose local is coordinated with this action and is helping to get media to be there and cover it. South Bay Mobilization urges union, student, and community activists to support this struggle.