UPDATE: The Company is extending the deadline for buyout applications until Monday, October 31, to give more time for people to get answers to questions they have about their pensions.

The Company is offering an across-the-board buyout for employees after negotiating terms Tuesday with Guild leaders.

The offer is for two weeks for every year of service, with a minimum of 15 weeks and maximum of 62. Employees would get health insurance for the same period of time.

For employees in advertising, commissions would be calculated as part of the package based on a 52-week rolling average.

The Company would not challenge unemployment claims, but employees would have to answer questions honestly, disclosing they received a severance package.

The buyout offer was approved by members 45 to 1.

The Company said it is looking to cut staff buildingwide, not just in the Guild, by 10 to 15 people.

The deadline to apply would be Monday, October 24 31. The Company will decide which applications it accepts.

If an employee applies for a buyout, that does not require the person to take it. In fact, an employee can sign a buyout agreement and rescind it within seven days. Employees whose requests for buyouts are accepted would have to leave by year’s end or they could choose to do so sooner. The company said it would inform people if their request is accepted by November 1 8.

To be eligible to vote on the buyout offer, you must be a member in good standing.

Guild leaders also asked if requests for pension calculations could be accelerated for those considering taking a buyout.

The union was represented at the table by Tim O’Brien, Marianne Mahr, Mark Hempstead, Brian Nearing, Michael Huber and Cindy Schultz.

A fundraiser will be held from 2-8 p.m. Saturday, October 15, to raise money for a private family consultation room in Albany Medical Center’s cardiac diagnostic unit that will be dedicated to and named for Jim McGrath, the Times Union’s late chief editorial writer.

The event will be held at the home of Darryl McGrath at 6 Irving Street, Albany, NY. Suggested donation is $10.

Jim was a longtime member of the Guild. Even after being promoted to an exempt position, he continued to offer his support and encouragement. His wife Darryl McGrath noted at his memorial service that Jim often posted supportive messages on the Guild’s website under the name Exempt Brother.

Darryl explained that she got the idea for the consultation room based on her own experience learning that Jim had the heart condition that would later prove fatal.

“It came out of my own difficult experience of hearing that my husband had a form of heart failure while I stood, exhausted, in a busy hallway outside of the cardiac catheterization lab,” she said. “I gave a lot of thought to what could be done to memorialize Jim, and it seemed to me that this was an excellent way to both honor my husband’s long struggle with a cardiac condition, and to help the community.”

This will be a private space where families can hear a diagnosis in private, consult with a chaplain or social worker, meet with a doctor or make a phone call without the entire waiting room listening to a difficult conversation.

The Guild’s Executive Board has already decided to donate $100 in memory of our “Exempt Brother.”

We also encourage our members to attend the event at Darryl’s home. There will be a
string band from Pine Hills, and dancing, food and beer/wine. You can stop by any time from 2-8 p.m. Darryl McGrath asks people to RSVP by emailing her at darryllee@aol.com.

Guild members elected seven people to three-year terms on the Executive Board.

The vote comes as the local continues to gear up for reopening full contract bargaining.

All but one of those elected were incumbents. Jeff Boyer did not seek re-election, and he was replaced on the board by Jennifer Rodd of advertising. Welcome aboard, Jen!

Your Executive Board members are:
• Tim O’Brien of Editorial, President.
• Marianne Mahr of Advertising, Treasurer
• Mark Hempstead of Advertising Art, Secretary
• Brian Nearing of Editorial, Chief Steward
• Michael Huber of the Web Desk, 1st Vice President
• Cynthia Schultz of Editorial, 2nd Vice President
• Jennifer Rodd of Advertising, 3rd Vice President

The board thanks our members for their support. We look forward to continue to work with and for you as we prepare to return to the bargaining table.

At our January membership meeting, a motion passed for the local to review and report back to the members on a possible hiring of a mobilizing coordinator to help with internal and external outreach.

That discussion is ongoing, and it is part of a much broader discussion between the local and the International on our current contract status and what should be done. That could include seeking a grant from our parent union, the Communications Workers of America, rather than using local funds for the expense.

We intend to soon launch a series of small-group meetings to discuss this information further later this month.

Michael Huber and Cindy Schultz are the newest members of the Guild’s Executive Board.

Huber, the interactive audience manager who also oversees the Times Union blogs, was elected first vice president.

Schultz, a photographer, was chosen as third vice president.

Their elections occurred at the local’s annual membership meeting Wednesday at the Colonie Public Library.

Guild President Tim O’Brien reported that the Executive Board is putting together its 11th settlement offer since 2009. O’Brien also will be speaking Thursday with Darren Carroll, an International representative, on ideas for trying to break the contractual stalemate with the Times Union.

The membership also approved a motion by Ken Crowe to consider hiring a full-time person to work on internal and external mobilizing. The board will report back to the membership within two months.

The Executive Board meets at 5:30 pm Thursday at its office in the Albany Labor Temple, 890 Third St., for its monthly meeting. All members are welcome to attend.