by Frank Blethen, special to The Stranger
AS YOU’RE PROBABLY AWARE, members of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild went out on strike against the Seattle Times Company last week.
The Seattle Times Company is owned by me, Frank Blethen, and while I don’t actually spend much time at the office, my official title is “Publisher, Seattle Times.” It’s right here on my business card. Anyway, I don’t actually do all that much, but I dropped by the office this year to make sure we endorsed George W. Bush, who promised to repeal the estate tax, something near and dear to my heart. I’m a rich guy; I’m getting up there in years; and I want to leave my paper to my kids, not Uncle Fucking Sam.
Anyway, we’ve made what we consider a fair offer to the members of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, something like a three-buck-an-hour raise phased in over six years. Or was it 10? Anyway, they said no, and as far as I’m concerned, they can walk that picket line until they forget how to type. They want more money, I’m told. Oh, really? They go on strike and want more money right after we run a series of stories called “New Money: How Prosperity Is Changing Life Here”? Is this some sort of goddamn coincidence? I don’t think so, and I’m dog-shooting mad about this. The editor who assigned the “New Money” series? Shot. Fired him. And he was management, which means I was able to fire his ass without giving anyone a reason. I hope his family starves.
So we’ve made our offer. The union can take it or leave it. I mean, what do I care? The Post-Intelligencer, owned by those patsies at Hearst, is on life-support. The only thing that’s gonna be “in the P-I” soon is its own obit. Ha! And then this will be a one-newspaper town–my newspaper!–and those shits on the picket line will come crawling back to me, begging for their old jobs back. And they’ll get them, too, at substantial pay CUTS. You, too, Godden. Gonna cut your pay and assign you the sewer-commission beat. Wait and see.
Sincerely,
Frank Blethen
Publisher, Seattle Times