Tribune Publishing CEOs are out after a series of controversies
Jan. 18, 2019 | Top officials at Tribune Publishing, which owns the Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun and the New York Daily News, are leaving after a wave of controversies. Those affected include the newspaper chain's CEO and the two top officials of its digital arm, according to a memo sent to staffers Thursday from the new CEO, newspaper executive Timothy Knight… Like many peers, Tribune newspapers have struggled to find a winning formula and have undergone repeated cuts under current ownership. The recent history of Tribune Publishing involves a series of incidents in which executives stood accused of enriching themselves at the expense of their journalists. Now, news reports suggest Tribune Publishing has sought to rekindle interest from Gannett — itself the target of a hostile takeover bid by a newspaper company controlled by a hedge fund known for slashing its newspaper properties. Tribune remains very much on the block… NPR

AFGE sues government over shutdown
Jan. 2, 2019 | The American Federation of Government Employees on Monday sued the U.S. government on behalf of federal employees being forced to work without pay during the Trump Shutdown. The lawsuit alleges that the government is violating the law by requiring some federal employees to work without pay, including correctional officers, Border Patrol and ICE agents, transportation security officers, and other employees who are labeled as “essential”. “Our members put their lives on the line to keep our country safe,” said AFGE president J. David Cox Sr., noting that positions that are considered ‘essential’ during a shutdown are some of the most dangerous jobs in the federal government. Pointing out that many of those working without pay are military veterans, Cox said that “Our nation’s heroes, AFGE members and their families deserve the decency of knowing when their next paycheck is coming and that they will be paid for their work.” The lawsuit was brought on behalf of all federal employees who are required to work without pay during the shutdown. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has previously ruled in favor of federal employees forced to work without pay during the 2013 shutdown. ~ Via Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO

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Applications are being accepted for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship
 The application process for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship for the 2019 year is now open. Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 are awarded annually to eligible outstanding high school seniors. Applicants must be the son, daughter or grandchild of an active, retired, disabled, deceased or laid-off Teamster member who has or had at least twelve months of consecutive membership in good standing in the Teamsters Union. The submission deadline is March 31, 2019. Applications are available in English or Spanish, and are available online or at the Local office. For more information, click here.

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It looks like Tronc is about to be chopped up, sold for parts Sept. 17, 2018 | While it still requires some deal jiu-jitsu, Tronc looks to be on the brink of being broken up. Will Wyatt’s new Donerail Group, several confidential sources tell me, has now gotten the financing in place to do a deal to buy Tronc. Donerail would purchase Tronc’s 10 daily newspaper properties, take the company private, and then most likely sell the papers off to individual buyers — some of whom it already has lined up… Neiman Lab And this: Tronc in talks to sell to McClatchy? Sept. 17, 2018 | A second firm is in talks to potentially acquire Chicago-based newspaper chain Tronc. California-based newspaper chain McClatchy is in “early stage” discussions to buy Tronc, owner of the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers, a source familiar with the negotiations said Friday. McClatchy, a publicly traded company, generated about $904 million in revenue last year, according to filings with the SEC… Chicago Tribune Tronc to ditch ridiculed name June 29, 2018 | After one of the most lampooned rebrandings of the digital era, Tronc is going to return to the name Tribune Publishing. An insider said that the name change for the parent company of the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News was awaiting the completion of Tronc’s spinoff of the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and several other papers in its California Media Group to health tech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong… MarketWatch

It looks like Tronc is about to be chopped up, sold for parts Sept. 17, 2018 | While it still requires some deal jiu-jitsu, Tronc looks to be on the brink of being broken up. Will Wyatt’s new Donerail Group, several confidential sources tell me, has now gotten the financing in place to do a deal to buy Tronc. Donerail would purchase Tronc’s 10 daily newspaper properties, take the company private, and then most likely sell the papers off to individual buyers — some of whom it already has lined up… Neiman Lab

And this: Tronc in talks to sell to McClatchy? Sept. 17, 2018 | A second firm is in talks to potentially acquire Chicago-based newspaper chain Tronc. California-based newspaper chain McClatchy is in “early stage” discussions to buy Tronc, owner of the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers, a source familiar with the negotiations said Friday. McClatchy, a publicly traded company, generated about $904 million in revenue last year, according to filings with the SEC… Chicago Tribune

Tronc to ditch ridiculed name June 29, 2018 | After one of the most lampooned rebrandings of the digital era, Tronc is going to return to the name Tribune Publishing. An insider said that the name change for the parent company of the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News was awaiting the completion of Tronc’s spinoff of the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and several other papers in its California Media Group to health tech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong… MarketWatch

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	Hoffa, Teamsters call on Congress to Reopen Government Jan. 18, 2019 | PUBLIC SERVICES | Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa joined other labor leaders at a rally today in the nation’s capital to call for an end of a partial federal government shutdown that has left 800,000 government workers without a paycheck for nearly a month. Speaking outside of Nationals Park, Hoffa said it is time for the Senate to vote on a funding bill approved by the House earlier this month that would fully reopen the government and allow not only federal workers but contractors as well to return to the job with pay. “We all know what’s going on,” Hoffa told union workers, including many Teamsters, in attendance. “We are here to rally with you and call for the vote. It’s time for this to come to an end…” Teamsters

	Teamsters: Fed Workers Deserve Respect – and Pay – for Their Jobs Jan. 16, 2019 | WAR ON WORKERS | Some 800,000 Americans who work for the federal government are closing in on a month of going without pay. And that is not good news for this country. As it stands, the U.S. government currently owes federal workers some $5 billion in back wages. The effect of the federal furlough reaches far beyond these government workers, however. The Teamsters joined with other unions at the rally in Washington to demand that elected officials make sure these workers return to work soon. And it may only be the start of federal workers flexing their muscles to demand change… Teamsters Union

	Here’s Why LA Teachers Are Walking Out in a Historic Strike Jan. 14, 2019 | COLLECTIVE ACTION |  After nearly two years of bargaining, public-school teachers in Los Angeles have initiated a strike in protest of their district’s policies. Starting today, teachers are picketing outside of their workplaces, underscoring an inveterate lack of investment in public schools made worse by a pro-charter-school “austerity agenda.” From April of 2017 to January of this year, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA)—which represents more than 35,000 teachers, nurses, librarians and counselors in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)—had been in negotiations with the district, and eventually reached an impasse… Working In These Times

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