The Graphics Communications International Union, which is a unit of the Teamsters, filed a petition on Monday with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to represent pressroom employees at the LAT. Similar efforts have been unsuccessful in the past. "While we are disappoointed we are not surprised," Mark Kurtich, senior vice president of operations, wrote in a memo to presroom employees - and obtained by LABO. The petition must be accompanied by evidence demonstrating that there is support among at least 30 percent of the employees. That would set the stage for an election in four to six weeks.

"Given the current business climate, this may well be the most critical election decision yet," said Kurtich. "Over the next six weeks or so, the company will make every effort to provide all the facts necessary to make an informed decision. We believe that once you have all the facts before you, you will yet again reject the union." Considering that no one knows who will be owning the paper in six months, it's hard to imagine any of those "facts" will be very meaningful.