Star Tribune's publisher faces harsh cafeteria of haters

Tough days to be Chris Harte. The Star Tribune's publisher hasn't been feeling the holiday cheer around the offices, even if he brings treats. Nevermind the treats replaced a traditional dinner provided to staff for the holidays. Cutting corners where they can, folks. Starve or keep your job? Choices, choices.

The Strib's unions are pretty fed up with the cuts and have started boycotts to show their displeasure. Some teamsters even made Harte so uncomfortable he walked the other way to avoid the booing, says the Teamsters for a Democratic Union.
More from TDU:

Rank and file workers at Heritage organized a boycott. "No concessions, no dessert," read a sign workers posted at the entrance of the Heritage cafeteria. Chris Harte, the company publisher, went into the lunchroom cafeteria at Heritage while the dessert was set out.

He sat at a table with members of middle management. Workers were uninterested in talking to him as they filed into the cafeteria for lunch.

Sather sat at a nearby table with a sign on his back that read "no concessions."

The Star Tribune's Heritage cafeteria must have felt much like those in middle school for Harte despite his efforts to bring some snacks to his employees. Fail.

We're not sure if Harte ever experienced such a cold crowd-filled anger, but we remember watching the cool kids tumble fast in those legendary middle school lunch rooms. Maybe they stole someone's boyfriend, did something slutty, beat up someone who didn't deserve it. The heads turn as they enter, but no greetings come their way. The kid's last chance was to try again in high school and hope all their new friends picked up on your imaginary status.

Unfortunately this isn't middle school drama. This is legitimate anger. These employees see their jobs on the line with families to house, mouths to feed and a whole lot of pride at stake. This isn't something to be messed with.

Harte had the guts to try again with the night crew, but didn't have much luck with them either, TDU says.

When Sather said that there was a problem in the platemaking department that kept the presses from starting, Harte left the lunchroom and went upstairs to see what was going on.

When Harte passed by the presses, pressmen started to boo him and Harte turned around and walked the other way.

Yikes. We're not sure how much Harte is actually to blame when the investors continue to back out of saving the paper and turn on the unions. Well he is asking the paper's Teamsters to take wage cuts of up to 42 percent. So much for a happy new year.