Oh, but it is a charity!
We appreciate Mr. Lenfest taking responsibility for this enterprise. We agree that it should be a sustainable commercial success.
But we have nothing left to give.
For us, this company has been a charity. We have lost our pension. We haven’t had a raise in six years. In fact, we have given back raises. We have paid more for health care because the company has not increased its contribution in 15 years. It has, however, increased its contributions to the Teamsters health fund. We are the only union to endure unpaid furloughs, going back to 2009. We have picked up the work of our laid-off and bought-out colleagues without complaint.
The company negotiators do not appreciate these sacrifices. They won’t even acknowledge them. What they are asking for in these talks imposes severe economic hardship on us and their seniority proposal adds suffering by putting most employees at risk of being laid off for political reasons.
Please join us noon Thursday for a rally at 8th and Market streets.
Howard Gensler
Bill Ross
Diane Mastrull
Cindy Burton
Melanie Burney
Regina Medina
Brian McCrone
