What Publisher George Hearst III is Telling You
vs. The Truth 

In open letters to “loyal subscribers,” publisher and CEO George Hearst III paints a picture of a company diligently trying to reach a compromise with the union in negotiations. What he doesn’t say is that he doesn’t even show up at the negotiating table anymore. Instead, out-of-town corporate lawyers sit and repeat the company’s demands for workers to surrender outsourcing protection and seniority, while turning down workers’ offer of pay cuts and other steps to save the company money.

What he doesn’t say is that a company that publicly addresses its “loyal” readers is seeking to unload its own loyal workers. George Hearst’s take? It’s all right if we lay off a 30-year veteran, as long as we give him a few extra months of health insurance. What he doesn’t say is that, despite the economic plight of many newspapers across the country, the Times Union is still turning a profit. What he doesn't say is that he's even turned down his employees' offer of a pay cut to save jobs.