The Albany Newspaper Guild membership unanimously ratified an enhanced severance plan at a special meeting held April 8, 2021 for circulation customer service workers whose jobs at the Times Union are being outsourced.

There will be a minimum payment of 12 weeks of severance pay for unit members who have less than six years of service. Two long-term employees will receive an additional payment of six weeks of severance added to their contractual severance package.

The weekly pay amount will be based on their their pay rate plus take into account, bonuses, overtime and other additional payments made over the previous 52 weeks.

The unit members will also receive a $2,500 bonus if they continue to work through the end of May. In addition, the Guild negotiated a payment of a portion of the annual health insurance premiums.

The workers will receive all accumulated vacation time, etc. All members who have vested in the pension plan will be eligible for their pensions per the terms of the pension plan.

The agreement is scheduled to be signed Friday afternoon (April 9, 2021) by the Guild and the Company.

Election Results

The Albany Guild membership unanimously elected Ken Crowe as local president to fill the remaining 20 months of former President Amanda Fries’ three-year term.

This is the sixth time Ken has been elected local president. It marks the second time that he has been elected to serve a remainder of term for a previous president.

Ken had been serving as acting Guild president since March 12, 2021 in his role as local vice president.

Ken promised to continue to pursue the goals the Executive Board has set to achieve a new contract, improve relations with management, increase training, expand communication with unit members and to support the stewards in their roles.

“During Mandy’s tenure, the Executive Board has worked with the stewards and members to strengthen our local in pursuit of a new contract. We have the support of TNG-CWA President Jon Schleuss for our plans,” Ken said.

Ken is a recipient of the Guild Service Award and led the local when TNG presented it with the Guild’s Human Rights Award.

Ken was a member of the TNG committee that recommended the successful merger with CWA. He is a reporter for the Times Union.

Friday, a Guild team met with company representatives to discuss the outsourcing of the circulation customer service representative jobs.

The Times Union intends to send the work to a company with operations in different parts of the county but our work will go to Mexico.

The company projects saving $300,000.

The Guild representatives, Acting President Ken Crowe and Chief Steward Rob Gavin, listened to the company’s severance proposals.

In response, the Guild agreed to most of the numbers with an increase in weeks of severance for two long serving employees.

In addition, the Guild asked for a 2 percent pay raise for all pay classifications. Ken Crowe pointed out that it’s been nearly 14 years since our last raise in 2007 and that the cost of living has risen by about 20 percent.

The 2 percent raise would be about $100,000 perhaps slightly more of the $300,000 in savings.

Human Resources Director Ruth Fantasia said that sounds like contract negotiations. Circulation Director Todd Peterson said the $300,000 was being used to create advertising and editorial jobs. The other company rep was a new corporate attorney Vincent Floyd. Publisher George Hearst didn’t attend.

The Guild also asked for health insurance coverage for the CSRs. None of them currently receive health insurance. This would be an additional payment.

The company said it would respond April 1.

Under a new state law you are entitled to up to four hours off from work if you are getting the COVID-19 vaccination shot during the work day. You are entitled to this time off for each shot you get.

This time off does not count against your sick time, vacation, makeup or personal days when you take it.

Human Resources Director Ruth Fantasia confirmed during a meeting Friday March 26 that employees are entitled to this time off. Fantasia said managers have been notified about this special time off.

If you run into any difficulties contact the Guild office at office@albanyguild.org or contact a member of the Executive Board or your shop steward.

The Executive Board has called a special membership meeting for Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 6 p.m. to fill the office of local president and for any other business that may come before the membership.

The April Executive Board meeting will immediately follow.

Make sure your voice is heard on the selection of a new president of the Albany Newspaper Guild.

Members will vote to fill the vacant post of local president and any other business that may come before the membership.

The meeting will be held via ZOOM. Meeting information will be provided in an email to members by the Tuesday before the meeting. If you do not receive the information, contact the Guild office at office@albanyguild.org.

Local President Election

The Albany Newspaper Guild must immediately fill the vacant post of president.

The member elected to this post will serve the remaining time of the three-year term of office and participate in Executive Board meetings and other activities supporting the local’s mission to represent our unit members.

Election Information:

The open position is President. The term will run through December 31, 2022.

Members must be in good standing to run for office and to attend the nomination meeting. If you want to check your standing, email the Guild office at office@albanyguild.org.

If there is only one nomination for any office, and the person accepts the nomination, the person will be elected at the meeting. If there is more than one candidate for any office, a Local Elections Committee appointed by the Executive Board will conduct a mail-in ballot election.

In the case of the office of president, the person elected will take office immediately upon acceptance.

Nominations for the office may be from the floor or by petition. Petitions may be for an individual candidate in which the name of the candidate, his/her Local unit (if applicable), and department worked listed. Such petitions must also contain the names of at least 25 members. Individuals signing a petition must be members in good standing. These petitions must be filed with Local Secretary Massarah Mikati before the election at the membership meeting. The secretary shall notify all candidates of their nomination and shall receive from them a written notice of their willingness to serve.

Guild gains 8 jobs

Local President Mandy Fries led her last meeting with the Company late Tuesday afternoon to discuss new jobs in the Editorial and Advertising departments. Mandy was joined by Vice President Ken Crowe and Local Secretary Massarah Mikati for the meeting with Publisher George Hearst and Human Resources Director Ruth Fantasia.

The company will add five jobs in editorial and three jobs in advertising. The company had been looking at creating a separate digital product in eastern New York State. The Guild in consultation with the International had argued that this fell within our jurisdiction. The company has decided our hard work in developing the Times Union print and TimesUnion.com brands is where the positions belong.

The jobs are an additional Saratoga County reporter, an additional environmental reporter and a Columbia-Greene counties reporter, a data reporter and a data visualization developer in editorial. The five positions are all Class C. The four reporters will join the seniority list for that title. The data visualization developer will be placed in an appropriate seniority list after further clarification on the job title. The Guild pointed out that we did not want individuals being the single person in a job title.

In advertising, we see the addition of a sales development representative and two additional outside sales positions for digital sales.

George Hearst and Ruth Fantasia praised the work that Saratoga County Reporter Wendy Liberatore and Environmental Reporter Rick Karlin are doing. They said these new positions are to supplement their work.

Company proposes PIP buyout terms

The Company presented a preliminary discussion for offering people on a performance improvement plan to opt for a buyout instead of proceeding with the plan in an effort to keep their jobs.

The basic proposal would be up to 12 weeks of severance pay and health insurance for anyone with six years or less of employment with the company. Anyone with more than six years experience would receive severance and health insurance of two weeks per year worked. The company would pay the employee’s portion of the health insurance premium.

This will be subject to further discussions.

Hearst Co. continues to maintain its policy of no furloughs or layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mandy’s Farewell

Mandy will wrap up her time at the Times Union on Friday and sadly will depart as president of the Albany Newspaper Guild. Mandy has led a revitalization of our Local during her time in office.

Mandy will be joining the Wilmington Delaware News-Journal as a watchdog reporter. We’re sure she will be spending time with President Joe Biden when he comes home from the White House. Also, the Wilmington paper is negotiating its first Guild contract. Mandy will feel right at home.

Mandy will lead her last executive board meeting Thursday evening. Members are always urged to attend.