Workers in the L.A Times press room on Olympic Boulevard downtown begin voting tomorrow whether to bring in a union. The paper, of course, has long been anti-union within its own walls and has a website urging employees not to go there. On the eve of the vote, Publisher David Hiller declined to attend today's Teamsters forum with workers at the Holiday Inn on Figueroa.

January 2, 2007

Mr. George Tedeschi
President
GCC/IBT
1900 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Mr. Tedeschi:

I am in receipt of your recent letter inviting me to participate in the GCC/IBT open forum on January 3, 2007. As you are well aware, the following day employees will begin voting on whether they want to be represented by your Union.

This will be the sixth time since 1990 that the Union has attempted to represent our employees. As you know, the Union lost all those prior campaigns, either because it lost the election or because it gave up and withdrew the petition before the election was held.

Given the fact that balloting will begin less than 24 hours following this meeting, I do not believe attendance at your meeting will serve either side. The positions of the Union and Los Angeles Times have been well communicated to the pressroom employees over the past four weeks.

Sincerely,
David

Ed Padgett of the LAT Pressmens 20 Year Club blog plans to be there with camera in hand.