Why it matters

(We asked our co-workers how a wage freeze would affect them. Below is one of the responses we got. While we understand that the company has been under a tremendous economic strain, we hope and believe it can do better to help us provide for all of our Times families.)


Financial hardships?

My daughter turned 16 in June. Like all kids her age, she's dying to learn how to drive. However, I can't teach her how to drive or let her drive my car if she learns at school. Why? Because I had to give up my car insurance over a year ago because I could no longer afford it.

I compensate by being an extra careful driver, but if I were to be pulled over for any reason, I wouldn't be able to produce proof of insurance (that's a ticket in the neighborhood of $100 I think).

I live in fear of getting into an accident, especially with my kids in the car, but what can I do? I have to get to work, and I have to take kids to school, etc.

I'm refinancing my house in an attempt to lower my mortgage payment, but even that probably won't be enough to cover insurance for us.

It would be irresponsible and dangerous to let an uninsured new driver loose on the road. My daughter understands the problem, and she's been very patient about it, but I know it's really hard for her to watch all her friends get their licenses when she knows she can't.

Last year, I stopped my federal withholding. I realized I really needed to have that money every month rather than get a big refund at tax time. I didn't realize the request had to be renewed annually, so it was automatically deducted when the year was up.

On that payday, I panicked. I didn't know what I was going to do because that was my grocery money. I called payroll and fixed the withholding. They said they'd put the extra money
on my next check, but I explained the situation and begged them to cut me a check right away so that I would be able to buy food (which thankfully they did).

We haven't had new glasses since 2000. I have been putting it off because of the cost. The special lenses my daughter and I need cost about $120 per pair in addition to the usual $75 co-pay for optometrist/frames/lenses. So that's about $200 per pair out of pocket after taxes. Plus, I really need prescription sunglasses for driving, which would be another $200.

If I made a few less dollars a week, my children would qualify for free/reduced lunches. However, the amount that I make over the limit isn't enough to cover the cost of providing them with lunches myself. (Just to be clear, I am NOT suggesting that I'd rather be paid less,
just to get free lunches for my kids!)

With gas prices almost triple what they were a couple of years ago, and milk prices creeping up towards $4/gallon unless it's on sale, "wage freeze" really means "pay cut."

I want to know how they can look me in the face and say, "We're sorry, we're cutting your salary, but please keep working just as hard... or maybe harder since there's fewer of
you..."

A two-year wage freeze just feels like a slap in the face after everything we've been through in the past few years. Especially considering how the Guild recently helped the company out financially with the retirement plan.

Through it all, we've stuck with the Times because we believe in this company. Not to be crass, but isn't that worth something every other Friday?

All of us who can should speak up about this. I don't think management really has any idea of just how close to the edge some of us here at the Times are living. It's not just the ones with young shining faces who are struggling.