About This Site

This blog solely reflects the views and opinions of members of International Association of Machinists Local Lodge 201. It is not maintained or supported by resources belonging to the L.A. Weekly or Village Voice Media.

Rally For L.A. Times Pressman's Union

Next Tuesday the Teamsters and County Federation of Labor are organizing a protest outside the L.A. Times, to protest the layoffs of 63 fulltime pressmen. See info below for details.

L.A. Times Still Anti‐Union
Join our rally to support L.A times pressroom employees in
Their fight for work place justice.

After 40 years of struggle to secure a union contract, L.A. Times pressroom employees ratified
their union contract on December 8, 2008. Now, months later, L.A. Times management is
putting on a full court press to kill the new teamster local union.
• Layoffs of 63 fulltime pressmen and presswomen.
• Intimidation of union members.
• Unjust discipline of union members.
• Constant surveillance of union members.
• Denying members their Weingarten rights
• Demoting union members for union activity
• Offering less severance to union employees than other laid off employees
Help the L.A. Times pressroom brothers and sisters fight this Anti‐union Company.
(NO SIGNS PLEASE)
Rally information:
Time: 11:00 am
Date: February 23, 2009
Location: 1st & Spring St. Downtown Los Angeles
Contact information:
Ronnie Pineda Marty Keegan
President IBT Lead Organizer
GCC/IBT Local 140‐N (202) 230‐9794
(562) 884‐1456

Striking Machinists Fight on in North Carolina

Anna Blackshaw, For The Times

STANDING THEIR GROUND: From left, union members Melvin Montford, Allen Moore and William Harrington at a makeshift shelter on the picket line outside Moncure Plywood, where workers have been on strike since July.

We don't know whether to cheer or cry, but check out today's L.A. Times feature on Machinist Local W399. They're a sister local whose members have been on strike against Moncure Plywood in North Carolina since July of last year. They've been camped out in summer heat and winter rain while scabs do their jobs, but are upbeat now that a pro-labor President is in the White House. These Machinists say they voted to strike when their company's final contract offer included mandatory 60-hour work weeks and the tripling of their health-care premiums. Sound familiar?

CNN Tips on Health-care Coverage

No one wants to plan for their dismissal from the L.A. Weekly, but it's important that all of us prepare for that possibility. Here's a CNN feature on how to handle medical coverage at a job that may end any day.

February Meetings

We'll have two local meetings in February. Besides the regular monthly one on February 16, we need to have a special meeting February 23 in order to change our bylaws and to authorize the expenditures for the January 24 party. Details to come.