an advertising agency. I could probably help with that part." He protested, but in the end, he gave in.
Henry noticed that Leslie read the Lexington Herald-Leader every day.
"Keeping up with the hometown folks?" he teased her.
"In a way," Leslie smiled. She avidly read every word that was written about Oliver. She wanted him to be happy and successful. The bigger they are ... When Leslie pointed out to Henry that the Star was losing money, he laughed. "Honey, it's a drop in the bucket. I've got money coming in from places you never even heard of. It doesn't matter.
But it mattered to Leslie. It mattered a great deal. As she began to get more and more involved in the running of the newspaper, it seemed to her that the biggest reason it was losing money was the unions. The Phoenix Star's presses were outdated, but the unions refused to let the newspaper put in new equipment, because they said it would cost union members their jobs. They were currently negotiating a new contract with the Star. When Leslie discussed the situation with Henry, he said, "Why do you want to bother with stuff like that? Let's just have fun." "I'm having fun," Leslie assured him.
Leslie had a meeting with Craig McAllister, the Star's attorney. "How are the negotiations going?" "I wish I had better news, Mrs Chambers, but I'm afraid the situation doesn't look good." "We're still in negotiation, aren't we?" "Ostensibly. But Joe Riley, the head of the printers' union, is a stubborn son of a a stubborn man. He won't give an inch. The pressmen's contract is up in ten days, and Riley says if the union doesn't have a new contract by then, they're going to walk." "Do you believe him?" "Yes. I don't like to give in to the unions, but the reality is that without them, we have no newspaper. They can shut us down. More than one publication has collapsed because it tried to buck the unions." "What are they asking?" "The usual. Shorter hours, raises, protection against future automation...." "They're squeezing us, Craig. I don't like it.
"This is not an emotional issue, Mrs. Chambers. This is a practical issue." "So your advice is to give in?" "I don't think we have a choice." "Why don't I have a talk with Joe Riley?"
The meeting was set for two o'clock, and Leslie was late coming back from lunch. When she walked into the reception office, Riley was waiting, chatting with Leslie's secretary, Amy, a pretty, dark-haired young woman.
Joe Riley was a rugged-looking Irishman in his middle forties. He had been a pressman for more than fifteen years. Three years earlier he had been appointed head of his union and had earned the reputation of being the toughest negotiator in the business. Leslie stood there for a moment, watching him flirting with Amy.
Riley was saying, "... and then the man turned to her and said, "That's easy for you to say, but how will I get back?" "
Amy laughed. "Where do you hear those, Joe?"
"I get around, darling'. How about dinner tonight?"
"I'd love it."
Riley looked up and saw Leslie. "Afternoon, Mrs. Chambers."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Riley. Come in, won't you?"
Riley and Leslie were seated in the newspaper's conference room. "Would you like some coffee?" Leslie offered.
"No, thanks."
"Anything stronger?"
He grinned. "You know it's against the rules to drink during company hours, Mrs. Chambers."
Leslie took a deep breath. "I wanted the two of us to have a talk because I've heard that you're a very fair man." fiQ
"I try to be," Riley said.
"I want you to know that I'm sympathetic to the union. I think your men are entitled to something, but what you're asking for is unreasonable. Some of their habits are costing us millions of dollars a year."
"Could you be more specific?"
"I'll be glad to. They're working fewer hours of straight time and finding ways to get on the shifts that pay overtime. Some of them put in three shifts back to back, working the whole weekend. I believe they call it 'going to the whips." We can't afford that
Henry noticed that Leslie read the Lexington Herald-Leader every day.
"Keeping up with the hometown folks?" he teased her.
"In a way," Leslie smiled. She avidly read every word that was written about Oliver. She wanted him to be happy and successful. The bigger they are ... When Leslie pointed out to Henry that the Star was losing money, he laughed. "Honey, it's a drop in the bucket. I've got money coming in from places you never even heard of. It doesn't matter.
But it mattered to Leslie. It mattered a great deal. As she began to get more and more involved in the running of the newspaper, it seemed to her that the biggest reason it was losing money was the unions. The Phoenix Star's presses were outdated, but the unions refused to let the newspaper put in new equipment, because they said it would cost union members their jobs. They were currently negotiating a new contract with the Star. When Leslie discussed the situation with Henry, he said, "Why do you want to bother with stuff like that? Let's just have fun." "I'm having fun," Leslie assured him.
Leslie had a meeting with Craig McAllister, the Star's attorney. "How are the negotiations going?" "I wish I had better news, Mrs Chambers, but I'm afraid the situation doesn't look good." "We're still in negotiation, aren't we?" "Ostensibly. But Joe Riley, the head of the printers' union, is a stubborn son of a a stubborn man. He won't give an inch. The pressmen's contract is up in ten days, and Riley says if the union doesn't have a new contract by then, they're going to walk." "Do you believe him?" "Yes. I don't like to give in to the unions, but the reality is that without them, we have no newspaper. They can shut us down. More than one publication has collapsed because it tried to buck the unions." "What are they asking?" "The usual. Shorter hours, raises, protection against future automation...." "They're squeezing us, Craig. I don't like it.
"This is not an emotional issue, Mrs. Chambers. This is a practical issue." "So your advice is to give in?" "I don't think we have a choice." "Why don't I have a talk with Joe Riley?"
The meeting was set for two o'clock, and Leslie was late coming back from lunch. When she walked into the reception office, Riley was waiting, chatting with Leslie's secretary, Amy, a pretty, dark-haired young woman.
Joe Riley was a rugged-looking Irishman in his middle forties. He had been a pressman for more than fifteen years. Three years earlier he had been appointed head of his union and had earned the reputation of being the toughest negotiator in the business. Leslie stood there for a moment, watching him flirting with Amy.
Riley was saying, "... and then the man turned to her and said, "That's easy for you to say, but how will I get back?" "
Amy laughed. "Where do you hear those, Joe?"
"I get around, darling'. How about dinner tonight?"
"I'd love it."
Riley looked up and saw Leslie. "Afternoon, Mrs. Chambers."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Riley. Come in, won't you?"
Riley and Leslie were seated in the newspaper's conference room. "Would you like some coffee?" Leslie offered.
"No, thanks."
"Anything stronger?"
He grinned. "You know it's against the rules to drink during company hours, Mrs. Chambers."
Leslie took a deep breath. "I wanted the two of us to have a talk because I've heard that you're a very fair man." fiQ
"I try to be," Riley said.
"I want you to know that I'm sympathetic to the union. I think your men are entitled to something, but what you're asking for is unreasonable. Some of their habits are costing us millions of dollars a year."
"Could you be more specific?"
"I'll be glad to. They're working fewer hours of straight time and finding ways to get on the shifts that pay overtime. Some of them put in three shifts back to back, working the whole weekend. I believe they call it 'going to the whips." We can't afford that
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