Head of Boston Globe’s Pressmen Union Tells GoLocal Problem is Not Theirs

Head of Boston Globe’s Pressmen Union Tells GoLocal Problem is Not Theirs

Vinay Mehra, the Boston Globe's president and chief financial officer, said that the printing problems at the newspaper are caused by the printing union. The comments were made in an article that was published in the Globe on Sunday. Printing and distribution problems are plaguing the paper and have lead to cancellations by subscribers. 

But in an email exchange with GoLocal, Steve Sullivan who heads the Pressman’s union said his members are having, “no trouble adjusting, the [principles] of newspaper production remain the same and our members are adjusting fine.”

According to the Globe article, “some senior pressmen have been resistant to change. ’I don’t want to bash them, but that is human nature,’ [Mehra] said.

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Mehra is the third leader of the Globe in the past nine months. Mike Sheehan left the Globe in December after three-years [Sheehan is an investor in GoLocal24].

Sheehan's replacement as chief executive officer was Doug Franklin who stepped down in July citing differences with the Globe’s owner John Henry — also a principal owner in a company that owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool soccer team.

According to Sullivan, who is the President of the Boston Newspaper Printing Pressmen’s Union Local 3, there are approximately 125 in the Pressman’s union and “on average 25 years of experience as journeyman press operators, some more, some less."

Sullivan added that “vigilance is the solution and it must become the new normal in print media. We've shown that type vigilance on a nightly basis despite some of the challenges.”

The Globe reports that they have spent $75 million to build out its new printing. "We appreciate the investment in Taunton and our long-standing partnership with the Boston Globe that's spans over a century. It's vitally important for this to work. We are confident that it will," said Sullivan.

The Globe also prints the crosstown competitor The Boston Herald and the printing problems are hitting the Herald too.

In a September 8 Herald statement to their readers, “We at the Herald are upset as well. We are upset that the paper you count on for the best news, sports and entertainment coverage in Boston is poorly reproduced, is frequently late or not delivered to our home delivery customers or at a retail store. Sadly, the printing problems that plagued the Globe 81 days ago have not been corrected.

We talk with the Globe on a regular basis but unfortunately the remedies they put forth to solve the production problems have failed miserably.

We appreciate your loyalty to the Boston Herald and ask for your continued patience while the Globe works to right the ship.