Closing Of Newark Star-Ledger Possible

The Star-Ledger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEWARK – Owners of the Star-Ledger plan to close New Jersey’s largest newspaper by year’s end if production unions don’t make concessions in contract negotiations, the publisher said Wednesday.

In a letter to staff, publisher Richard Vezza said the company felt “pushed into a corner” by the unions, whose contracts expire in July.  Vezza said they have until Sept. 27 to make compromises or else the paper will shut down.

“This is not a threat.  This is reality,” Vezza said in an interview.

The paper’s website, www.nj.com, is owned by a separate company and will continue to publish “no matter what happens with the Ledger,” Vezza said.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130627_Closing_of_Star-_Ledger_possible.html#bdzrJUzhQ0AOWDGl.99

Stalled Owen J Roberts Contract Talks Lead To Teacher Slowdown

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SOUTH COVENTRY — The stalled contract negotiations between the Owen J. Roberts School District and its teachers union has gone public.

The teachers have been working without a contract since June 30 and the two sides have been negotiating, quietly for the most part, for 15 months.

However the failure to reach an agreement about wages has raised the stakes and the rhetoric in the matter and the teachers union have instructed their members to work only to the specific language of the expired contract and cease all extra and voluntary activities.

School Board President Douglas K. Hughes reacted by issuing a letter to the district Tuesday, which was also   posted on the district web site, announcing that the teachers union had decided to “work to contract,” explaining they would “work only to the contractually obligated hours” and informing residents and taxpayers the union had asked their members “not to participate in any unpaid activities.”

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130328/NEWS01/130329308/stalled-ojr-contract-talks-lead-to-teacher-slowdown#full_story

Pottstown School District And Teachers Agree On 3-Year Pact

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN, PA — With a unanimous vote Thursday night, the Pottstown School Board signed off on a three-year contract with the teachers union.

The Federation of Pottstown Teachers had approved the pact earlier in the week, said School Board Solicitor Stephen Kalis.

Under the terms of the agreement, retroactive to Sept. 1, teachers will received a 1 percent raise and a “full-step increase,” on March 15, 2013.

Tuition reimbursement has been changed to provide a maximum of $3,000 for those who receive an “A;” $2,500 for those who obtain a “B” average and nothing for those who score less than a “B.”

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121019/NEWS01/121019287/pottstown-schools-and-teachers-agree-on-3-year-pact&pager=full_story

Scranton Teacher Will Strike Monday If Negotions Fail Today

Image via Wikipedia

Editor’s note:  The Scranton School District serves over 9,000 students!

Negotiations will continue this morning between the Scranton teachers union and the school district, but a strike is still scheduled for Monday.

After a full day of negotiations on Friday, the union president said she was “disappointed” by the lack of movement from the district.

“They thought they made progress,” Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, said. “We didn’t feel that way.”

The union made a “huge concession” for the first year of the contract, and for the second and third years, gave district negotiators an option “we thought they could deal with,” Ms. Boland said.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-teachers-strike-still-on-for-monday-negotiations-to-continue-saturday-1.1276677#ixzz1nPk52Jwc

McNabb Signs Multi-Million Dollar Contract, Then Promptly Gets A Spankin’ From The Eagles

What a charmed life Chunky Soup McNabb leads.  His career with the Eagles was impressive in some respects but McNabb could never follow through for a Super Bowl victory.  So after more than a decade as Number 5, he got traded to the Washington Redskins.

During Donovan’s first year with the Redskins he is again mired in controversy and got benched by the team’s coach Mike Shanahan because he can’t grasp the team’s offense.  Media hype and speculation about what the benching meant ensued.

So yesterday I read that Donovan has just signed a whopping $78.5 million dollar, 5-year contract with the Redskins.  The $78.5 million would be if Donovan gets resigned and he completes all the incentives, however, this is still a huge amount of money for an “on again, off again”, nearly 34-year-old quarterback.  Certainly more faith than I would put in Mr. McNabb based on present and past performances.

As a big thank you to the Redskins owner Dan Snyder, Donovan gets the stuffing beat out of him, at home, before the ink is dry. 

After this huge loss to the Eagles (59-28), the Redskins drop to 4-5 for the season.  Hardly a record that merits a contract of that size IMHO!

PMMC Workers To Hold Candlelight Rally On Thursday, November 19th

 

Join other PMMC workers and our families at a

Candlelight Vigil for 

Fairness at Our

Community Hospital

Together workers at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center are taking a stand for our patients, our community, and our future. We are united for a fair contract that allows us to best serve our community and to take care of our families. Together, we believe it is absolutely essential that our employer, CHS, come to the table to bargain with us in good faith.

Join us as we come together at a Candlelight Vigil.

St. John’s UCC

Corner of Price and High Sts. in Pottstown

Thursday, November 19

4:00 PM

For More Information Call

Stephen Jones at 570-460-5832

PLAN TO ATTEND AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

PMMC Board Of Directors Meeting Visited By Union Representatives And Members Tonight

Tonight’s Board Of Directors Meeting for Pottstown Memorial Medical Center had a larger than normal audience.  The meeting was held in a classroom at the Chestmont Professional Building, across from the hospital. 

Dozens of hospital workers, union officials and press packed the small room while PMMC CEO John Kirby presented the board with a power point presentation outlining the growth and changes at the hospital.

Dr. Whitaker, Chairman of the Board, allowed comments and questions from the audience regarding the benefit changes being proposed by CHS (the owner of PMMC).  One hospital employee passed a petition of support for the union workers to the Board of Directors and asked if anyone would sign it as a show of solidarity to the employees of our community hospital. 

John Kirby answered all the questions that were presented.  He deferred discussing most talking points due to the ongoing contract negotions process that was already in place. 

The meeting was fairly short and we were thanked for our time and interest in attending by Dr. Whitaker.  The meeting was adjourned. 

There was a brief rally in the parking lot to discuss any impact tonight’s visit may have made on the board.

The contract negotiations are continuing but without much success.

Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas was there to show her support for hospital employees.  Doug Pike, Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives 6th Congressional District, was also in attendance to show his support for hospital workers.

I was able to snap a few pictures, despite the darkness, to capture the moment for my readers.