BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the past 39 years, John Fletch has started and ended his day at the corner of Washington and Scott in downtown Buffalo.
But Monday morning, the journeyman, like the rest of his union, received word that their time at the daily paper may soon be up.
“I've put a lot into this,” said Fletch, the president of the Buffalo Local Mailer Union #81, CWA 14169. “I deserve to retire from there.”
The Buffalo News announced its plans to move its printing operation over three hours away to Cleveland where The Plain Dealer is printed.
The move leaves up to 160 jobs in jeopardy and Fletch fearing he may be one of them.
“It just always seems to be the worker that suffers from it,” he said. “They certainly don't involve us in the decision-making.”
The announcement comes in response to what the Buffalo News called a “thorough analysis” of its current operations in an effort to maintain the current level of reporters in the newsroom — adding that it will not impact the content or delivery of the daily paper.
But its writers saw the move as anything but that, stating Monday night that the move is just its owner’s latest attempt to “focus its effort on ways to reduce costs at The Buffalo News rather than on ways to invest in the operation.”
The change also creates waves in the Western New York local news industry leaving publications like the Hamburg Sun, Pennysaver and WNY Values now without printing homes as well.
“There's no consideration for the history of it and where it came from and how important it is to the community as well as the workers that have been loyal for all these years,” Fletch said.
Those loyal workers, like Fletch, for the first time in their career have to start thinking about doing something new.
“I don’t know where we’re headed, but I certainly don't want to end up at 55 looking to reinvent myself,” Fletch said.
Fletch’s union will meet with Lee Enterprises, the Buffalo News’ parent company, Wednesday morning to discuss its members’ futures.