San Francisco 4N is negotiating first contracts for units at the Modesto Bee and Dow Jones.

Local 4N Pres. Edward Rosario said the local won the representation election at McClatchy's Bee for a unit of seven machinists and mailers on May 21.

Workers at the Modesto paper contacted Local 4N area representative Lloyd Wiens for help over issues involving "basic justice and dignity," Rosario said.

Rosario said Wiens did house calling for members of the unit, and the workers confirmed they wanted a union to help them.

"The workers thought they were being misled," Rosario explained, because when the company fought a previous organizing campaign by another union, the company made many promises that things would get better. But the company reneged on those promises.

"We already represented workers in the pressroom so they knew GCIU's reputation for sticking by their members and called us," Rosario said.

"When workers tried to air grievances to the company, they felt they weren't listened to," Rosario said. "They complained about harassment on the shop floor and had major scheduling issues. They were perpetually on call so they could never enjoy an assured time with their families. The company would change their schedules at random. They wanted some stability in their workplace and in their lives. The best way they saw how to do it was to organize."

Local 4N also is negotiating a first contract for a unit of seven machinists and mailers at the Dow Jones Wall Street Journal plant in Palo Alto, where Local 4N represents pressroom workers.

The local won the election in early January, but Rosario said the company negotiators are dragging their feet on bargaining. He said the unit's primary issues include "really bad" harassment from a supervisor.

"They had no peace and just couldn't take it anymore, so they decided to organize. Plus, they are putting in full-time hours but getting treated as part-time workers with none of the full-time benefits. They also have scheduling issues," Rosario said.

Rosario said he hopes both McClatchy and Dow Jones will come to their collective senses and reach first contracts for the new units. "They have to realize because they have other union contracts that fair and just treatment of employees benefits the company in the long-run," he said.