The Executive Board reached an agreement Tuesday with newsroom management to add four new positions with the Guild as the Times Union ramps up efforts to grow its digital audience.

The four Guild positions will be funded through the Hearst Corporation, as part of the company’s initiative to expand digital subscribers across all its newspaper holdings. The initiative also includes the addition of one exempt employee at the Times Union as Director of Audience.

“It’s great to see the Times Union further embrace a digitally-focused newsroom,” Guild President Amanda Fries said. “I’m excited to bring additional members into the Guild who will work to expand the Times Union’s digital presence and enhance the great work our members do daily.”

The five new positions are part of a corporate initiative that challenges the Times Union to increase its digital subscribers to 25,000 by the end of 2021.

Management initially proposed three out of the five positions be Guild employees but compromised with union leaders to include four as Guild-represented.  The titles for these four new Guild positions are: Data/Business Intelligence Analyst and Online Content Manager, both in Pay Classification A; and TU Multimedia Producer and Content Producer, both in Pay Classification C. The four titles are added to the contract. The new positions are expected to be posted in the near future.

Unionized employees have been hit hard as the Times Union sought buyouts and proceeded with layoffs earlier this year along with outsourcing the company’s business office to Houston.

Friday will mark the last day for some business office employees whose jobs are being outsourced. The Times Union is wishing them farewell with cake at 2 p.m. in the executive conference rooms.

The membership’s strong turnout in voting unanimous approval of an enhanced buyout for our business office colleagues sent a strong message. The Executive Board thanks the membership again for your support.

The members of Albany Newspaper Guild TNG-CWA Local 31034 showed their support for colleagues in the Times Union business office Wednesday during a special vote.

The members voted 54-0 to approve a deal negotiated by the Guild with Times Union Publisher George Hearst for enhanced buyouts for members in the business office, whose jobs are being outsourced to Houston.

The members also voted 53-0 to adopt a change in the dental provider under the overall health insurance package.

“The turnout for the vote shows the Guild’s membership is involved and embracing the changes the Executive Board has promised,” President Amanda Fries said.

The election turnout was 70 percent of eligible voters.  It represented a 160 percent increase in participation since the last vote.

President Amanda Fries led bargaining teams that reached resolutions a week earlier on the enhanced buyout package and health insurance. The Guild Executive Board voted unanimously to recommend the membership back the measures.

The vote came a week after the membership elected the Executive Board to three-year terms.

The buyout and insurance votes were counted and certified Wednesday by Vice President Ken Crowe and At-large Board Member Jeff Boyer.

A special vote will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 to approve a health insurance package for 2020 as well as an enhanced buyout for impacted employees in the business office.

Earlier this month, the Company approached the Executive Board and business office employees about outsourcing the work done of five of the six employees in the office. Through negotiations an enhanced buyout package was reached to compensate the employees who have worked at the Times Union for many years.

Guild members are very pleased the Company is offering a non-precedent setting buyout package removing the 62-week cap for dismissal pay to compensate the longtime employees, providing 12 months of health insurance coverage as well as a $5,000 stipend for employees who have been asked to train their replacements in Houston.

For business office employees who take on another role at the Times Union, they will receive a $10,000 displacement payment.

The Executive Board unanimously approved the buyout package at a special meeting Wednesday, and recommends approval by the membership.

The proposed plan for health insurance in 2020 will drop $0.29 for those on the $850 deductible plan with MVP Healthcare. The deductible remains the same.

For members paying for the high-deductible ($3,000) there will be a slight increase depending on if you are single, single plus one, or have family coverage. This deductible will remain the same as well. If you’re single you’ll see a $1.07 increase each week in your paycheck for health insurance. For a single plus one, the increase will be $2.14 per week, and for family coverage it will increase $3.21 per week.

These figures are subject to change should the Company secure a lower rate with MetLife for dental, which in turn could reduce costs to members. The above estimates include Delta Dental for coverage. The coverage is changing from Guardian due to lower rates secured from other carriers.

Voting on both measures will be conducted in the Times Union cafeteria, and efforts will be made to make voting as easy as possible. Times will be announced prior to voting Wednesday.

At the annual meeting of the Albany Newspaper Guild held Tuesday, Sept. 24, the following people were nominated and elected by members to serve three-year terms on the executive board:

Amanda Fries, President
Ken Crowe II, Vice President
Jayson McKenna, Treasurer
Lauren Stanforth, Secretary
Robert Gavin, Chief Steward
Jeff Boyer, At-large member
Ty Stewart, At-large member

Also at the meeting, the president discussed other issues currently facing the Guild, including the negotiations involving Hearst’s stated intention to eliminate Guild staff in the business office, as well as the Guild’s future plans to conduct more outreach among its membership.

The membership also voted on allocating $5,000 for the mobilization committee.

The Executive Board was thrilled to see so many people from various departments attend the meeting (the best turnout for an annual meeting in many years!). We look forward to reaching out to you about new initiatives in the months ahead, as well as keeping you updated on any information we can share concerning ongoing negotiations with Hearst Corp.

As always, please reach out to any of the board’s members for questions or issues you want to discuss confidentially.

Thank you for your support!

The Newspaper Guild of Albany will hold a membership meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the BVMC Church Hall across the street at 250 Old Maxwell Rd.

All seven seats on the Executive Board are up for election. The terms are for three years.

The positions require attendance at the monthly Executive Board meeting, held at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. Board members develop bargaining proposals, make decisions on health care and other proposals, and decide on any grievances or other issues that arise. 

Also, this will be an opportunity for members to raise any issues or concerns, and to hear about any potential new approaches toward reaching a new contract.

View the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting below:

9.25.19 membership agenda