Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 11:39:08 EST
Subject: Star-Bulletin saga
Dear Ian,
It was with increasing anger that I read portions of your Star-Bulletin diary in the Jan. 14 GUILD REPORTER. I am the former president of the Chattanooga (TN) Newspaper Guild, and one of about 40 staffers left jobless in the 1999 demise of The Chattanooga Times. Although the International Guild went to bat for us, too, the Justice Department declared the situation unworthy of its attention because too few people were involved.
It has been more than a year now since the Times closed, and I really thought I was over it. But reading your "Hawaiian Journal" stirred emotions I didn't know still existed. All over again, I felt the uncertainty, the stress, the fear, the backbiting, the pressure and the sheer despair of trying to do the best job I could to represent the interests of Guild-covered employees as our management took the money and ran. Once again, I felt the meaninglessness of that surreal job interview experience with the "new management across the street at the other paper," and the certain knowledge that there would be no job offer for me at the end of the road.
For the most part, I have been very glad to have had the opportunity to focus on being a full-time parent in the year since the Times closed. After the debilitating atmosphere of the last six months in the Times newsroom, I needed the break. But when I finally started looking seriously for work this past September, I discovered that no one is anxious to hire a 42-year-old journalist who can write circles around any fresh j-school grad around. They would rather hire on the cheap. So instead, I am beginning to focus more on public-relations opportunities outside of the newspaper industry.
I am fortunate that my husband's salary is sufficient to allow me a somewhat leisurely time frame to find work. But as the years pass, it will get harder, not easier, and I have to admit to a growing sense of urgency. (Talk about bad timing; I just now had a phone call from the merged Chattanooga Times-Free Press asking me to renew my subscription. It was all I could do not to shriek at the woman.)
Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I've been where you are, and it does get better. I am freelance writing now, and am as busy as I want to be at the moment. I have not had to seek a single job. My reputation in the community is such that many local magazine publishers and hospital administrators (I was a medical reporter) call me with writing jobs. So far, I have been unable to parlay my skills into a full-time position. But I have no doubt that this year, that story will change.
Part of me will always be committed to journalism. And it saddens me a little to think that I may never be part of that vital newsroom milieu again. But a lot of good things came to me because of my life in newspapers. I've just got to focus on those.
I wish the best to you and your colleagues. Keep fighting the good fight.
Michele Dula Baum
former President, Chattanooga Newspaper Guild Local
33164
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000
13:33:57 EST
Subject: Re: Star-Bulletin saga
Dear Ian,
I would be honored if you would quote from my message in your journal. You also have my permission to quote with attribution. I am proud of the Guild's efforts in the final weeks of life at The Times.
Although we had contract language regarding severance, there was some question as to whether it would stand up in the event of a plant closure, since closure was never directly addressed in the language. In its initial severance proposal, the company tried to give a slightly sweeter severance deal in exchange for denying any severance to those who were offered positions by the new regime. Yes, you read that right. Not if they accepted employment, just if they were offered. We said no way, that's extortion.
Finally, the company agreed to pay those not offered or accepting employment the slightly sweeter package (actually, it was only sweeter for newer employees; veterans of 8 years or more ended up with the same as in the contract), and to give everyone taking jobs with the merged paper a $2,000 going away gift, with a 6-month option to quit with full severance.
While we thought we had a good case to demand full severance for all, we decided it wasn't worth the legal expense to fight. Besides, everyone was pretty drained by that time, and the company's final offer was accepted with only 1 dissenting vote. I feel that having a Guild presence was definitely valuable. And if I do find work in daily newspapers again, I would hope it could be at a Guild-covered shop.
Now, one year into the merger, about half of the Times staffers hired by the merged paper have left. Of those who were not offered jobs, nearly all have found others. A few have been hired back. Some of us still stay in touch, but it is hard, and sometimes awkward. In my work with the Church and on the board of a nonprofit agency, I have had occasion to return to the paper requesting coverage of this or that. It is always a bittersweet experience.
I have talked to the management of the merged paper three times since August (the first time at their request) and get the same story each time: Jeez, Michele, we want you back, but we're not ready now. Maybe in 6 months. I hope they don't mind if I don't hold my breath.
It was a sad day when we closed up the Guild office, and packed the files off to headquarters in Washington, D.C. We closed our accounts and sent them what little we had, but it could not even begin to repay what we owe for the services of our International Representative Bruce Meachum, both at the closing of the Times and during more than 2 years of often contentious bargaining prior to the closing. On my desk at home, I have framed the original charter of the Chattanooga Newspaper Guild, signed by Guild founder Heywood Broun in April 1937. I didn't want to see that go into a file cabinet somewhere in Washington to gather dust.
I want you to know, also, that I sent a plea to my cousins who live in suburban Honolulu to check out your Web site and sign the petition to Save the Star-Bulletin. I'd sign it myself if it would do any good.
Again, best to you and yours.
Michele Dula Baum
Dear Ian,
In the interest of absolute fairness, allow me to add:
While reading THE TRUST, the story of the Sulzberger clan, I learned that The Chattanooga Times had never been really profitable in modern times and that it probably should have closed in the early 1970s. The only reason it didn't was that the family knew how important it was to Ruth S. Holmberg, publisher,and invested millions to keep it running.
And when the inevitable did happen in 1998, Mrs. Holmberg and the rest of the family ownership did their best to see that as many Chattanooga Times employees as possible could remain employed at the new paper. I'm sure the McDonald family, owners of the Chattanooga Free Press, did the same with the sales agreement they reached with WEHCO Media. All of this effort, however, did little to dampen the torment for all.
Michele Dula Baum