Boston Globe Newspaper shutdown to begin according to NY Times

[JS_Harris]

It looks like the N.Y.Times, owner of the Boston Globe, laid down an ultimatum and that the deadline came and went. Proceedings required to shut down the Globe may be filed today.

[news.yahoo.com...]

The newspaper's largest union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, called the move a "bullying" tactic by the Times Co., which last month threatened to close the Globe unless its unions agreed to $20 million in cuts, half from the Newspaper Guild.

The Guild said it had proposed more than the $10 million in cuts sought by the Times Co. In a statement released two hours before the midnight deadline, the Guild said its proposed cuts called for "tremendous sacrifices, across virtually all categories of compensation and benefits."

Neither side would reveal what was bogging down the negotiations, but a key sticking point could be lifetime job guarantees.

If I was in the Union i'd look at the bigger picture and perhaps let go of my desire for a "lifetime" job in a very troubled industry... or perhaps members see it as the only way to survive troubled times?

It will be interesting to see if the N.Y.Times follows through and to find out what that means for the other major publishers.

[weeks]

They are still in talks. I don't think they'll close down, but the unions are going to have to take management's terms. Or, they will lose their jobs.

[boston.com...]