Denver Blog

Right. Because they went to J-school to park cars. Makes perfect sense.

Appalling. The Lehman family has neither held a company Christmas party for its employees (for years, in fact) nor invited them to "a catered sit-down luncheon." This stunning display of disdain for the people who keep their papers afloat is par for the course for this former employer.

Is this what I have to look forward to after I finish my j-degree?

NOT A BAD DEAL TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS. LETS SAY FOR EXAMPLE THE TYPICAL EMPLOYEE IN MY BUSINESS MAKES 11 HR OR MORE THATS $50 FOR PARKING CARS. I WOULD DO IT MYSELF BUT MOST OLD FOLKS DRIVE BUICKS OR FORD LTDs. NOW IF IT WAS A PARTY FOR THE UPSCALE BOULDER OR DENVER FOLKS I WOULD DO IT IN A HEARTBEAT. TO GET THE CHANCE TO PARK AN AUDI, MERCEDES, LEXUS OR EVEN MAYBE AN AMERICAN CAR LIKE A CORVETTE WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT.
PS AS FOR SOME OF YOU WHO PAID $120K FOR A JOURNALISM DEGREE WELL YOU GOT RIPPED!

You'd be getting paid your journalist wages for doing easier, less intellectually stressful work.

Ben Gilbert: I doubt the cars will belong to proles.

Erik: Why would you be mad if your publisher offered you extra hours? No one is being required to do it--nobody "had to park" any cars, as you put it.

Newsflash: Journalism isn't like what you think it will be like, sucka.
www.FilthyRichmond.com loves ya, baby

This is disgusting. Valets probably make more than most newspaper employees anyway! I would quit if my publisher tried to pull this crap....and I wouldn't be surprised if he did! The CEO of Gannett took a 17% salary cut recently -- $200,000!!! That's only 17% of his income?!?! And we're supposed to feel sorry for him when we're the ones dodging mass lay-offs?

Why are people ticked-off at this? So the Lehman's are going to throw a party and offer their guests valet parking. Are you jealous you were not invited? Is that why you're ticked-off?

Or, is it because they offered their employees the opportunity to do the valet parking at their regular pay rate (probably higher than hiring a service)?

Would it have been better to hire an outside company?

BTW The proletariat are the ones parking the cars (for the upper class). 120K for a degree and you don't know the definition of proletariat?

The e-mail went out to the entire company, which includes far more people than the journalists in the newsroom.

Plenty of employees who work in the mailroom, on the press, classified sales or elsewhere could very well be interested in making some extra cash at the holidays.

It seems all the journalists have forgotten it takes a bunch of people to put out a newspaper!

You know, during the really cold weather, I like the flames as much as the next person.... but could y'all even try a little to troll just a bit
..you know, a bit more with feeling?

Obviously at least 2 people didn't find it offensive...

I work in a hospital and recently observed a very senior physician clean a patient's vomit off the floor with paper towels. Why? Because the patient would have had to suffer the smelly mess for 5-10 minutes while waiting for a nurse to break free to do it otherwise, and he was right there. He didn't even get paid extra for doing this ;-)

It's not a great analogy, but my point is:

The minute you think you're 'too good' for a particular job, whether it's because of your title, education, or whatever, is the minute you BECOME the very type of person you all are griping about.

I think a big ol' fart in every car I parked would be satisfaction enough.

What's to complain about here? I spent 30 years in print journalism, the last dozen or so watching the industry kill itself off through bad management and failure to see the train coming down the tracks. I was lucky to be able to put in my time and retire last year, but younger reporters and editors are screwed--they can't afford to retire, can't find new jobs, can't do anything but wait for the axe to fall. Many of them would love a chance to pick up an extra $100 or so parking the publisher's pals' Lexuses. And those who don't want the job don't have to take it.

Perhaps consider that because current employees are already drug screened and in the payroll system, that this is an opportunity to have people you trust - not strangers - work for you. (Have you ever seen how paranoid old people are about strangers?) Perhaps again, an awkward and not completely thought out way to offer some people extra cash when it is clear that they, as your employees are having a tough time making ends meet. I'm quite sure if the national backlash about this was considered ahead of time, this would not have occurred. We are all way too quick to conclude that an effort to make a party nice for a really old guy and his really old friends was an intentional effort to belittle employees or disrespect their college degrees. Lighten up and Merry Christmas.

Jeez somebody call the waaaa-mbulance. Get over yourselves! I never heard of someone being OFFENDED by being offered additional OPTIONAL work. And not at low wages either, at the SAME PAY they'd be getting otherwise. Golly gee, here's an idea for you: DONT TAKE THE OFFER. Problem solved. Now go wash up for dinner little boys and girls.

To those people who are so immune to reality that they actually think this is OK:

Who would offer this, except an employer who KNOWS that he pays so poorly that a number of his employees will be compelled to ACCEPT?

Do you have any idea what the salary is like? What it's like to live on that kind of money? We're not talking about "one less trip to Bermuda this year" money -- we're talking about "should I pay the gas bill and lose the phone or pay the phone bill and lose my heat" money.

Turn off Hannity and listen, for once.

Two things-

1. The poster who stated that the Lehman's never throw a party for their employees is totally incorrect. I used to work there a short time ago, they threw great parties for ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. They went above and beyond what most companies do.

2. The Lehman family is one of the most generous families in this state. Refrain from the ignorant name calling.

This is merely an opportunity to earn extra money. If I still worked there, I would have accepted the offer.

and of course the limousine drivers arent afforded a sit down meal at all....I don-get no respect at all!
bless us each and every one.

Interesting comment string.
I find it intriguing it appears to be all reporters - sorry, JOURNALISTS - whining about this demeaning offer.
The optional opportunity was offered to all staff at the paper. The beleaguered, downtrodden reporters -- oops again, JOURNALISTS -- were the ones to climb higher on their white steeds to bleat and moan about being told to clean toilets and mow lawns (?).
But then, can't let the facts get in the way of a good gripe session.

Funny... I work at the Times-Call and was not made aware of this "opportunity" until someone from outside of the company made me aware of it. Is it possible this could be a "hoax"?

being outraged at the alleged offer is insulting to people who do park cars for a living. until they remember that they probably earn double what the journalists make each month.

As usual the only people employed at a newspaper are in the newsroom. Listen up people I do work here at the Times-Call and that e-mail was sent by the publishers wife. It was really aimed at getting people in production/circulation to do it though. People that really do need the money. We also did have very large holiday parties until two years ago. We do have catered lunchs for the holidays now. I hope no editors/reporters choke on their latte's with some true facts here.

Wow, what a bunch of whiney softies. I have a Masters degree and although I am on salary, my hourly wage comes out to around $30. If my employer asked me to come in on the weekend and scrub toilets for my base rate of pay I'd be there in a heartbeat. What is wrong with people that they think they are above certain things? It just shows how they truly feel about the people who are in those jobs.

I just don't want to park the old mans car, he's probably pissed the seat.

This brings me to an idea:...