From the Inside

I have assisted with house calls. So, perhaps I can clear a few things up.

1. We are assessing whether the majority of Pantagraph employees want a union. We are listening to your concerns about the paper and the union. It’s not clear that most employees oppose the union, as stated in the publisher’s letter. We’re receiving a lot of positive feedback including overt support and signed cards.

2. We are very careful in explaining what those cards mean, and we’ve been more accurate than the company on the point. They don’t mean you pay dues. That would require a ratified contract.

3. If you slammed the door on our face, we marked you as a No and moved on. Our door remains open if you change your mind. We intend to represent you vigorously once the union is formed regardless of your initial reaction.

4. If you haven’t seen us at your door, either you’ve already shown clear disinterest or we have an old address or we just haven’t gotten to you yet. Contact us if you’d like to see us but haven’t yet. A visit obligates you to nothing.

This union can’t be something from the outside. It must be from the inside. We need support beyond a smile and a wink. The organizing effort has gone on longer than I’d have expected, not knowing what to expect. But it doesn’t end. We become the union. We negotiate. We decide. If we could just hire some gunslingers from out of town to get us raises and better benefits and do all the work, I’d be the first to sign up. That’s not how it works. It requires our effort and boldness, from the inside.