Steve Syre and the Globe

I'll be right back don't you -- and brought Justin from a Nouvel -- world headquarters building and veterans for. Good morning welcome to Monday it is a beauty I think on the way even council -- You did so blog is a little bit out there see now I'm expecting sunshine and 71 degrees for the high that's my plan for accident -- I checked with the meteorologist -- if that's going to happen in their mind this is just you a sense of things WiMax you're more -- there. I -- moron and -- you hear about these two American reporters in North Korea who've been convicted of stop doing bad things show and -- they face fourteen years of twelve -- is something like that twelve years as a of hardly write like this. I think like a good -- yeah well they were sure that did you hear or they're charged with. They were charged with it being in the bag for Barack Obama. So there were there was no defense. -- opt opt -- and I think punishment is appropriate punishment -- the -- speaking to reporters says Steve -- comes in to do business with us and we want to find out what's going on Boston Globe whether the -- it is it's very confusing the situation to they get a bigger pay cut if they agreed to the terms are bigger pay cut if they don't. How -- the union's gonna come down on on this whole settlement thing. Steve sorry joins us from the Boston Globe as he does every weekday at this time it is the moment everybody waits for in tunes in for -- Steve.

Good morning I think he'd fit right in North Korea. Hot hot hot hot I I love the idea. That -- a dozen years how label for Todd Feinberg has to be classic. I'd pay part they would sell what you sense big vote today of the guilty -- remember that killed I know while last week you're unsure but you said you told our audience last week Steve you would not be surprised. If the membership of the guild voted the proposal down.

Yes still the case sight wouldn't say that the guarantee that if you if you ask me. They can guess one way or another I would say probably no. That's kind of the way it -- you know there's been no polling that I'm aware of anyway that. It would give you a real clear picture of that but. If you were talking about just the -- people discussing I would say. That it would be voted down.

And when will we know that will the votes be tabulated saved by midnight tonight or even earlier.

Usually need the votes on something like this because. There are night shift people I don't know what the actual polling -- here are the those. There are copy editors and people who you don't work through the evening that. The polls stay open quite late but usually at the end of the night this is number. And that will certainly have a number to talk about tomorrow morning but exactly when it's available -- not sure.

And what would be the ramifications if if the vote goes that way.

If the vote is now yeah well. Visit this proposal that we've talked about before which obviously. Doesn't move forward which is. Compensation cut about 23%. Over lots of different categories salary. Health care pensions those types of things a whole bunch of things. And oh. Otherwise the company has made it clear that if it -- that they have other agreements with labor unions that are dependent on getting the kind of savings that they -- target of our union which is about ten million dollars in the aggregate they would achieve that by basically. Instead of taking a 23% competition -- just cutting people's salary. 23% which they have at least that's their point of view they have greater latitude and leeway to do that without. A negotiated settlement.

So it doesn't make a lot of difference it's sounds like to you guys -- employees and management doesn't care. Or maybe likes it better if you reject.

I don't think they like it better if they rejected because there are other issues like. These lifetime job guarantees that some people -- that's on the table to be negotiated away. And some more minor points that don't have to do with actual dollars and cents and if the vote -- and they don't achieve debt and in all likelihood. The contract that -- currently working under extends to a December 31 this year and that would then they would attack that. Six months from now essentially but I think that it would prefer that everything has voted to. Favorably. If in terms of from our point of view I think there are depending on -- people's. Individual. Home economics I think there isn't a clear answer all the time about what the better. Self interested decision -- I would say most people are hit pretty hard by a 23% paycheck cut.

While I mean yeah I'm I'm just sitting here thinking to myself twenty I'd be thankful and -- fireworks in the newspaper business. I mean just such tough times yeah because that implies that there's a solution movie four -- you get to keep your job and it's just so. I mean he if you lose your job at a paper today -- attorneys -- it's such a horrible time to be a journalist.

You know I think losing two point five cents at a better. Every dollar that you make is is yeah. A big how small economic changes that it is and it isn't necessarily for a lot of people sort of biting the bullet I think it's -- it -- things completely a black and -- one of the things that that makes this particular vote so difficult it's you know as we've mentioned that there are lots of other unions in the globe that have already agreed to deals and some of these have but union did there. Each one is specific but. Some of them have you know. Given back things already in the past in this particular one is not as owners not nearly as onerous as artists. But the cumulative effect is pretty big as well but -- it when you go into these days when you're getting a wallet you're saying. You know 23% the number that we wanted to say yes on that. It's hard sell and and mostly other cases. I think -- when it comes to drivers and other people that union leaderships have been selling these deals pretty hard and there's nobody out there are selling that newspaper guild the ruble which are about now.

Why would it be such a difference then between the unions with the three of four that have already fallen on line and -- sell by the union leadership. No -- even kind of I think.

Well again I I don't know the specifics of all the other unions and in all of them have approved this by the way at this point but I don't think there's anybody else's is voting. A series of cutbacks that are. Nearly as draconian as. As what we're talking about again but put that few would ever at least some of them have in the past already given back some things but. You know it's it's a bit number and in you know we talked about in how the -- kind of punch in the -- point 3% as you know this is -- it'll work population that hasn't had a reason for years as well so you know it's not like -- were doing well up to this you're giving a lot back it's been a struggle for a long time that reflects a lot of trouble -- our business of course and.

That's the thing it's that takes money 3% or maybe a 100% which looks better I I think. That's -- you have to look at these things now isn't.

Yeah well I think you have to thank you literally you know make a living it does the that would 25% less in the hand and I don't know the answer that and debt. You know how you cut costs and clearly cut it -- have to be reduced at this point is is typical question I think -- a lot of people's perspective you know we're negotiating. And what looks like an absolute bottom as well and institutionalizing. You know permanent cuts through you know contract language and you know I think that sort of as a bitter -- as.

Well because there's no mechanism to get the money back in Hollywood there's a turnaround in the U.

Negotiate in the future to get some of that back and you know -- a lot of discussion about sort of the inequity of you know what management is in the newsroom. Is giving up verses what we're giving up and -- that the truth is you can cut management group bonuses and things like that very easily and -- steep cuts but at the same time you can. Flip the switch and and do when things get better that are you know. Increase that compensation very easily whereas. It that a union contract environment that's. Much more it is much more complicated.

You know one of the things that strikes me Steve is. For a lot of you folks have a personality -- of the life you have a colony of this a photo you get used to reading. Steve -- Kevin Collin Adrian baucus on oracle. But there at tuitions involved he is -- blog urges involved he it is every damn thing that everybody else strikes that struggles with. And you folks -- through the same thing I mean a 23% cut I gotta say before that ago they got the globe should very very quickly move. In depth tie he online availability to be in a subscriber. If -- subscriber you gotta pay to get to the online content it just got to do it.

Our on our by the -- and Syria other sets -- I was in New York this week and I picked up the Saturday morning I picked evident newsstand the New York Times cost two dollars. And I went to a coffee shop -- people are saying they're not buying in an important is going to pay two dollars for the daily news two by auction of a spent some serious it's -- greater good.

Right I picked up the Sunday paper I would suspect but.

I did see Xbox for the New York Times you know I actually know I didn't I didn't that's true what I did was on Saturday morning the next newsstand I came choice on at a Washington Post I said how much is the Washington Post I thought might be five box at the -- times to. And they said about 752. Way to set the Washington Post in New York City is cheaper than New York Times and it's a better paper. Come on what kind of what is that all about I don't know it's.

You -- actually has -- obviously much more than a year has passed but the question -- a long history of having a relatively low. Newsstand price all of the time making -- point obviously -- jacking up their prices right now and this is you know the the larger issue that we talked about in the -- about. It that the cost of printing a newspaper -- paper and delivering -- and -- patent. Essentially making. The people who buy that product. Pay more of the cost of producing -- in the absence of the kind of advertising support that newspapers have always had in the past.

Alright Stephen thank you we'll see again tomorrow Steve -- Boston Globe. You hear the depression and his voice he's right on the cutting edge.