Newsroom reorganization plan still on the table

The Guild continues to talk to the Company about the proposed newsroom reorganization. Many of the proposals are fine, others will require more discussion and clarification and a few are problematic. The union will oppose what has become a disturbing trend at the paper lately — an effort to convert Guild-covered positions into exempt management ones. The Guild will oppose any effort to take away our work; we don’t need more managers supervising the same (or fewer) employees.

This issue is cropping up all over the plant, including the “design director” position in marketing. That employee is doing work that has been done by Guild members in Specialty Publications. A grievance has been filed. The Company also broke a 20-year agreement when Fred Lebrun retired. The post was to go to the Guild. Instead, the column is being done one day a week by an exempt manager.

Guild members met twice Thursday to hear what the Company is proposing. Your thoughts will be helpful to the Guild in deciding how to respond.