Union prepares to strike at paper

The union did not want to continue negotiations beyond midnight Monday.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Newspaper Guild, Local 11, has rejected an attempt by the Federal Mediation & amp; Conciliation Service in Ohio to assist in reaching a contract settlement with The Vindicator.
On Friday, Louis J. Manchise, director of Mediation Services for the Mid-Western Region, which includes Ohio, did the following:
* Asked the two sides to extend their collective bargaining agreement until Nov. 29. The Guild's two-year agreement with The Vindicator expires at midnight Monday.
* Established a panel of federal mediators to assist in contract talks.
* Asked that the two parties use the FMCS facility in Cleveland for future talks.
In his letter to The Vindicator and Guild, Manchise noted that the two sides are far apart, and there was a danger of a work stoppage.
Manchise said a strike "could potentially impair any hope of the newspaper's future viability as an employer in the Mahoning Valley."
What happened
The Vindicator accepted Manchise's request. Robert Wiseman, human resources director, said the company is ready and willing to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement with the assistance of the panel of FMCS mediators or the assistance of Commissioner Jenifer Flesher.
The Guild rejected the director's request to temporarily extend the contract, refused to move the negotiations to Cleveland and has refused to meet further with any FMCS mediator.
Anthony Markota, Local 11 president, said the Guild asked the company Friday afternoon to continue bargaining today, Sunday and Monday without the mediator. The company's chief negotiator, Atty. Charles Price, flatly refused to meet today, Markota said. "He said he was going home, and he lives in Chicago," Markota said.
Concerning the continued use of a mediator, Markota said: "We feel the mediator was not giving assistance to further a settlement."
Union vote
Markota said the Guild stands ready to meet around the clock. The membership, however, made it clear that it wanted the Monday strike deadline to hold by a vote of 110-2 Thursday.
He said there was a suggestion given to the membership to go beyond the Monday expiration date for 72 hours, but the membership said no.
Markota added the company has threatened a lawsuit against the union if its members publish a strike paper.
The union represents 179 full- and part-time employees in the circulation, editorial and classified departments.