I spent four years as a pressman at the Army Times from 1982 to 1985. I worked as a supervisor or higher in eight other press rooms in my career and no other press room had as fine of technically trained press room employees as the Army Times. 'when I went to Chicago Tribune it was like a day at the beach compared to what I was used to at the Army Times. If fact, I credit the work ethic I learned there as one of the key reasons for successes I had after I left the Times. At the Army Times, we were always staffed very lean. You might have to run the folder, and a back to back four color lead and have one other person on the press with you to run the other back to back color lead. This was on a press not designed to run back to back color mind you. And you were expected to run a great looking product on time and with low waste. The expectations of us was sky high at all times. It was a tough environment to learn in but it was the best training you could ever receive. And after the run you might have to set the iron on a three color unit because it was out of whack and that was part of the expectation too. You had to be able to do everything on the press. And the result was a pressman who could do everything on the press. And when I went to Chicago as a Supervisor, I was surprised that you called maintenance to set iron and the electrical shop for electrical issues and they had a dedicated crew to change blankets! It was so easy compared to where I came from I thought I had died and gone to press man heaven! And every job after that was similar. I can not stress enough how tough it was to work in that press room and how well trained you were if you can through that operation.
I caught up with several former coworkers yesterday and it was great to see all of them again after so many years.
Frankie the pig in front, back of Matt Millers head. Me on the left and Todd Stinson visible on the right and Paul, Matt's nephew behind Todd.
Russ and Colin
Matt, James, Todd Russ and Colin