Minnesota's capital city deserves a strong, viable newspaper that serves the community and provides good wages and benefits to employees, speakers at the "Save the Pioneer Press" rally said Thursday.
More than 300 people attended the lunch-hour event, held outside the newspaper's offices in downtown St. Paul.
The Pioneer Press and 11 other Knight Ridder newspapers, including the Duluth News-Tribune and Grand Forks, N.D., Herald, are up for sale. Employees and many people in the community are worried a buyer might slash staff and cut coverage. The Minnesota Newspaper Guild/Typographical union has endorsed a "worker-friendly" bid by Yucaipa Cos. of California.
The Twin Cities constitute "one of the last markets in America that have real competition and we're really concerned about that," said Bernie Lunzer, national secretary-treasurer of The Newspaper Guild-CWA. Competition has improved the quality of journalism in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, he and other speakers said.
"This paper is as important to the city of St. Paul as the Mississippi River," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. As the home of the state Capitol and the state's second-largest city, St. Paul deserves its own newspaper, he said.
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Supporters cheered as speakers said Minnesota's capitol city needs its own newspaper. Photos by Workday Minnesota (above) and the St. Paul Union Advocate (below) |
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Although they compete for scoops and subscribers, workers from the Minneapolis Star Tribune joined the rally in solidarity with their counterparts at the Pioneer Press. The owner of the Star Tribune ? the McClatchy Co. of Sacramento, Calif. ? is acquiring Knight Ridder Inc., which owns the Pioneer Press. But McClatchy has announced it will immediately sell the St. Paul paper and 11 others. Yucaipa Cos. is one of several possible buyers for some or all of the 12 newspapers.
Lunzer said the fate of the publications could be known in three weeks ? or three months. Depending on the type of sale, unionized workers could face the prospect of losing their contracts and have to negotiate from scratch.
While the Guild believes Yucaipa would make the best owner because of its worker-friendly record, Lunzer said, "it doesn't matter who ultimately owns this newspaper if they understand the need for a quality newspaper and a quality contract."
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| The Easter bunny made a guest appearance in support of Pioneer Press workers. |
Attorney General Mike Hatch said he will be watching the sale closely. Any effort by McClatchy to shut down or weaken the Pioneer Press could be considered a violation of anti-trust law, he said, adding "If journalism is treated like just another business, the future of our democracy is eroded."
The Guild and the Teamsters union represent the majority of workers at the Pioneer Press.
Representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federations were among the many speakers at rally. The newspaper's future "is not just a simple business equation," said Shar Knutson, president of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. "This is our community that's at stake."
Workers at the Pioneer Press have launched a website, www.savethepioneerpress.com, where people can sign a statement of support. They also are urging people to write McClatchy CEO Gary Pruitt and ask him to sell the Pioneer Press to buyers most committed to keeping the paper a vital part of life in the east metro.
For more information
Visit www.savethepioneerpress.com
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Minnesota’s capital city deserves a strong, viable newspaper that serves the community and provides good wages and benefits to employees, speakers at the “Save the Pioneer Press” rally said Thursday.
More than 300 people attended the lunch-hour event, held outside the newspaper’s offices in downtown St. Paul.
The Pioneer Press and 11 other Knight Ridder newspapers, including the Duluth News-Tribune and Grand Forks, N.D., Herald, are up for sale. Employees and many people in the community are worried a buyer might slash staff and cut coverage. The Minnesota Newspaper Guild/Typographical union has endorsed a “worker-friendly” bid by Yucaipa Cos. of California.
The Twin Cities constitute “one of the last markets in America that have real competition and we’re really concerned about that,” said Bernie Lunzer, national secretary-treasurer of The Newspaper Guild-CWA. Competition has improved the quality of journalism in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, he and other speakers said.
“This paper is as important to the city of St. Paul as the Mississippi River,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. As the home of the state Capitol and the state’s second-largest city, St. Paul deserves its own newspaper, he said.
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Supporters cheered as speakers said Minnesota’s capitol city needs its own newspaper. Photos by Workday Minnesota (above) and the St. Paul Union Advocate (below) |
|
Although they compete for scoops and subscribers, workers from the Minneapolis Star Tribune joined the rally in solidarity with their counterparts at the Pioneer Press. The owner of the Star Tribune ? the McClatchy Co. of Sacramento, Calif. ? is acquiring Knight Ridder Inc., which owns the Pioneer Press. But McClatchy has announced it will immediately sell the St. Paul paper and 11 others. Yucaipa Cos. is one of several possible buyers for some or all of the 12 newspapers.
Lunzer said the fate of the publications could be known in three weeks ? or three months. Depending on the type of sale, unionized workers could face the prospect of losing their contracts and have to negotiate from scratch.
While the Guild believes Yucaipa would make the best owner because of its worker-friendly record, Lunzer said, “it doesn’t matter who ultimately owns this newspaper if they understand the need for a quality newspaper and a quality contract.”
|
| The Easter bunny made a guest appearance in support of Pioneer Press workers. |
Attorney General Mike Hatch said he will be watching the sale closely. Any effort by McClatchy to shut down or weaken the Pioneer Press could be considered a violation of anti-trust law, he said, adding “If journalism is treated like just another business, the future of our democracy is eroded.”
The Guild and the Teamsters union represent the majority of workers at the Pioneer Press.
Representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federations were among the many speakers at rally. The newspaper’s future “is not just a simple business equation,” said Shar Knutson, president of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. “This is our community that’s at stake.”
Workers at the Pioneer Press have launched a website, www.savethepioneerpress.com, where people can sign a statement of support. They also are urging people to write McClatchy CEO Gary Pruitt and ask him to sell the Pioneer Press to buyers most committed to keeping the paper a vital part of life in the east metro.
For more information
Visit www.savethepioneerpress.com