Bargaining Bulletin #2:

We start talks with the Times Union for a new contract on Wednesday June 8^th.

The Albany Newspaper Guild’s Executive Board will serve as the bargaining committee and has added other Guild members to the committee.

The Executive Board promised when it took office that a new collective bargaining agreement would be negotiated. The pandemic delayed negotiations.

When talks begin Wednesday, President Ken Crowe will be joined by Vice President Ty Stewart and Steward Wendy Liberatore at the bargaining table.  Other Executive Board members will be at the table as needed.

The Executive Board has used the results of membership surveys to pull together a proposed contract. The proposal will be presented to the Company Wednesday when negotiations begin.

The Guild’s and the Company’s respective leaderships have been communicating and have held in-depth discussions over the last two years that have dealt with Covid-19 working conditions and other topics.  Both sides have agreed it’s time to bargain a new contract.

An aggressive negotiating schedule has been set with multiple meeting dates scheduled for June and July with six-hour bargaining sessions.

The Executive Board will issue regular updates on bargaining.

Theresa LaPoint of the Times Union advertising department was elected treasurer of the Albany Newspaper Guild at a membership meeting held on April 14.

Theresa is a veteran Guild leader having previously served as the local’s treasurer. Theresa is experienced, compassionate, and insightful regarding issues that impact all Guild unit members. Theresa strengthens our Executive Board as the local heads into contract negotiations with the Times Union.

Theresa’s term of office runs through the end of the year. She succeeds Jayson McKenna who recently left the Times Union to take on a new position.

On Wednesday, March 23, 2022, our local leadership delivered letters to Times Union management notifying the company that it was time to bargain a new contract.

It’s called a “demand to bargain.” The local Executive Board decided at the March meeting that the letter would be filed by March 31.

The Guild’s and the Times Union’s leaderships have been discussing bargaining. The letter references this and asks the company for dates it is available to start contract talks.

“Consistent with our prior discussions, with this letter the Albany Newspaper Guild is initiating a demand to bargain a contract agreement,” the notice states.

It’s time to reach a new contract between the Guild and the company. For many local members, this will be the first time that negotiations for a new contract will occur during their employment at the Times Union. We’ve been working under imposed conditions since 2009.

The filing of the notice comes after local President Ken Crowe, Vice President Ty Stewart, Melissa Nelson, a former local president, and international representative, and Barbara Camens, the TNG-CWA general counsel, reviewed the steps to take.

Over the last two-plus years, the Guild and the Times Union have held regular discussions to improve communications and to find ways forward as the newspaper industry continues to face challenging economic pressures and moves to digital.

The letter addressed to Publisher George R. Hearst III and copied to Human Resources Executive Director Ruth Fantasia closes by saying, “We look forward to meeting with Times Union representatives for healthy dialogue, a respectful exchange of proposals, and a productive collective bargaining process.”

At a membership meeting held Monday night on Zoom, the Albany Newspaper Guild unanimously approved two enhanced severance packages.

One package covers the Advertising Art sub-department, while the other package is for other departments.

The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America Contracts Committee gave its support for the enhanced severance. The local’s Executive Board approved the enhanced severance at its January 2022 meeting and set the membership meeting.

Bonus Payment

The Local’s Executive Board has approved at its December meeting a one-time bonus payment by the Times Union to Guild-represented employees who aren’t paid commissions.

The company said the bonus most likely will be 1 percent of annual salary (that’s $500 if you earn $50,000). This is similar to what occurred in 2020.

Severance Vote

The membership at a special meeting Dec. 9, 2021 approved a special severance package for unit members who are not vaccinated. They will receive up to 8 weeks pay, the equivalent amount of health insurance in coverage or cash and can apply for unemployment.

Christmas and New Year’s Day

Just a reminder that under our contract Dec. 25 is the Christmas Holiday and Jan. 1 is the New Year’s Day Holiday.

The company sent out the wrong information but at the Guild’s request has corrected it with a follow up email. If you opt not to take the holiday on the Friday before or the Monday after and Saturday is your normal day off you can take a make-up day.