Like so many major newspapers, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is looking to sell its building and move to smaller and less expensive quarters.
United Media Guild business representative Shannon Duffy spoke with P-D publisher Ray Farris about the pending move. The Guild’s primary concerns about the next location will be employee safety — a concern at the current 900 North Tucker location — and parking.
The latter point could become a subject of bargaining as we begin to negotiation a new contract later this year.
Here were some of Ray’s thoughts on the move:
The current building is too big for the smaller Post-Dispatch operation and too expensive to maintain.
Lee Enterprises, parent company of the Post-Dispatch, owns other properties around the metropolitan area. But local management doesn’t believe any of them are a good fit for the Post-Dispatch.
Lee could sell the 900 North Tucker building and keep the Post-Dispatch there on a lease-back arrangement — but local management would prefer moving to a different downtown building that offers a better fit.
A move is not imminent. Ray doesn’t anticipate making the change for at least several months.
Ray has duly noted about our concerns about parking, which is currently available free to our members.. Our people have endured pay cuts and unpaid furloughs. Pay scales and the pension were frozen in the last contract. Paid parking would amount to another pay cut.