Dear Colleagues,

As some of you may have already heard, I will be leaving the Albany Times Union on Friday, May 31, at which time I will also be stepping down as president of the Albany Newspaper Guild.

I understand these are frustrating and challenging times, given the repeated downsizing at the newspaper as many people find themselves juggling multiple duties while the wage freeze enters its twelfth year.

As I depart, I want you to know that efforts to negotiate a new contract were continuing, quietly and behind the scenes, in hopes that such an atmosphere would be conducive to allowing both sides more complete freedom of expression without the pressure of heightened public expectations.

I regret that this approach, while yielding some areas of consensus, was unable to reach an agreement, given that some items discussed were simply deemed too valuable to put on the table at this time.

Given all this, your Guild contract still retains valuable protections and benefits, especially at a time when the entire newspaper industry is under incredible stress, with many papers changing ownership, shedding staff dramatically or slashing wages.

This contract still retains seniority benefits and protections against outsourcing of work, which if lost could expose the longest-tenured staffers to job loss to newer hires or to outside contract workers. The contract still retains defined benefits for vacation days, personal days, and make up days.

And it also provides substantial financial benefits should workers decide to accept buyouts, or lose their jobs involuntarily, protections that many other workers in other industries do not enjoy.

The defined-benefit pension plan, which is provided to all Guild members after five years of work, is become all too rare in the modern U.S. economy that is shifting the risk for retirement planning to the individual worker.

In the days ahead, your Guild board will be deciding how to tackle the contract challenges that have proven so difficult to resolve. They will need to know what you think. You will need to know what kind of choices might have to be made. If you hear about Guild events, try to attend. And remember, the benefits of the contract, imperfect as it currently is, will ultimately be as strong as the Guild itself.

As I leave, I wish your Guild officers a sense of renewed purpose and the member support they will need to determine how to best navigate the path ahead, which will present its own set of new challenges as this industry continues to adapt to changing times.

Sincerely,

Brian Nearing
President
Albany Newspaper Guild

The Guild will present the company’s buyout offer for the consideration of its members on Wednesday, May 29 from noon–1 pm & from 5–6 pm in the executive conference room on the 2nd floor. A “yes” vote means that the offer can be considered by individual members.

Under the terms of the current Guild contract, the company first make a buyout offer to workers who are willing to leave prior to pursuing any potential layoffs.

The company’s offer calls for two weeks pay for every year of service with a minimum of 4 weeks pay and a maximum of up to 62 weeks. Years of service would be calculated as of May 1, 2019 and would not include fractional years.

Concurrent health care coverage would be capped at 52 weeks, even for those who qualify for the buyout beyond 52 weeks pay. Those who choose not to accept that health care would not be bought out for any portion of the value of that declined coverage.

Anyone who would like an exact buyout figure should request one from HR immediately. 

The deadline for applying for a buyout would be the end of the business day on June. 7 with Human Resources. Filing an application in no way obligates the person to accept a buyout, if offered. The company has sole discretion over accepting or rejecting any and all buyout applications.

Anyone who signs a buyout offer has seven days to withdraw it, should they choose.

The company will not challenge unemployment claims. And those who accept buyout payments can preserve their unemployment eligibility if they hold their release form until 22 days after their last day of employment and then sign it, according to Human Resources.

We suggest anyone with questions in this specific regard contact HR as well as their local state unemployment office to ensure this situation.

To receive the buyout, workers would have to sign a perpetual release that indicates the worker will make no future claims against the company.

Pension benefits and accrued benefits, such as vacation time, makeup days and personal days are guaranteed by our contract, and would be paid at the time of the buyout. Commissions would be included in the buyout calculation for advertising sales staff.

Under our contract, members must vote on whether this package should be offered for consideration. If the buyout offer is rejected, then the company can initiate layoffs. Under the contract, layoffs would be based on reverse seniority order (first in-last out). The company would have to give 45 days advance notice to anyone subject to layoff, or provide 45 days pay, per our contract.

This vote is open only to members in good standing, which means that you have signed a News Guild union card and a dues checkoff card. If you have any questions on your status or the buyout offer, please contact your Guild officers: Brian Nearing (x5094) Amanda Fries (x5353), Marianne Mahr (x5589), Rob Gavin (x5064), Mark Hempstead (x5675), and Jeff Boyer (x5429)

The language of the buyout is on the reverse side of this flyer.

The company informed the Guild on Monday that it seeks an unspecified reduction in staffing during the middle of 2019.  Under the terms of the current contract, that step requires the company first make a buyout offer to workers who are willing to leave prior to pursuing potential layoffs.

The offer is similar to that made in 2016 and late last year when the company last sought staffing cuts. It calls for two weeks pay per year of service, starting at a minimum of 4 weeks pay to a maximum of 62 weeks pay.

Years of service would be based on an employee’s tenure as of May 1, 2019. Fractions of years would not be counted, so for example, if tenure clocked in a 9 years and ten months, the buyout would be based on 9 years.

For sales representatives, commissions would be included in the buyout calculation, based on a 52-week average to May 1, 2018

Workers also would receive health insurance coverage for that same period of time. 

To receive the buyout, workers would have to sign a perpetual release that indicates the worker will make no future claims against the company.

Pension benefits and accrued benefits, such as vacation time, makeup days and personal days are guaranteed by our contract, and would be paid at the time of the buyout. Commissions would be included in the buyout calculation for advertising sales staff.

The company has sole discretion to decide each buyout request on a case-by-case basis. Factors would include whether a particular worker would need to be replaced, and whether the company can reduce payroll.

The company did not indicate a potential target for the number of positions that it seeks. Management indicated that exempt employees are also being targeted for buyouts.

Under our contract, members must vote on whether the package should be offered for consideration. If the buyout offer is rejected, then the company can initiate layoffs. Under the contract, layoffs would be based on reverse seniority order (first in-last out). The company would have to give 45 days advance notice to anyone subject to layoff, or provide 45 days pay.

Laid-off workers are entitled to additional dismissal pay based on years of service, up to a maximum of 62 weeks for those with 30 ½ years of service. Health insurance coverage is not provided as part of dismissal pay.

The company has set a deadline of 5 p.m. June 7 for applications. Workers who are selected for the buyout package will have 45 days in which to sign the agreement or not. Workers who sign the agreement then will have seven days to reconsider revoking it.

The Guild Executive Board is seeking to schedule a member vote on whether the buyout offer should be made available. After that, workers can decide individually whether to apply. All pension rights in our contract remain in effect and you should also be able to access monthly payment estimates at your account on myhearstretirement.com

Your Guild officers can take any questions that you have. Contact Brian Nearing (x5094), Amanda Fries (x5353), Marianne Mahr (x5589), Rob Gavin (x5064), Mark Hempstead (x5675), and Jeff Boyer (x5429).

For about a month now, the company and the Guild, along with the unions for the mailroom and the press, have been negotiating the 2019 health care package.

The company initially proposed increasing the current out-of-pocket individual deductible, which has been $750 for several years, to $950 as part of coverage with our current carrier, MVP.

This increase would be part of a package that would include a form of telephone medical “concierge” service aimed at dealing with routine health issues without the expenses associated with a doctor’s office visit.

Under our current system, once the deductible is reached, expenses are then reimbursed through a company/Guild fund run by our insurance carrier, Brown and Brown.

Given that our contract has been static for some time now, the Guild indicated that we did not see a deductible increase as warranted, while we understood the company’s interest in the concierge service. We felt that our members should not be forced to pay for it.

Subsequently, the company amended its proposal to increase the deductible to $850 as part of the concierge package. After due reconsideration, your Guild officers again indicated to the company that we could not support an increase to the deductible. 

Last week, the company indicated it was implementing the $850 deductible regardless. The Guild remains willing to engage in continued negotiation. We are concerned that once the deductible is raised, it could happen again in subsequent years with no effective means to oppose it. 

Currently, our weekly composite health contribution is $68.71 a week. If the deducible remains at $750, that contribution would be increased next year to $69.95, based on the increases in MVP and Guardian dental premiums for 2019.

Raising the deductible to $850 would result in a new weekly contribution of $69.01. It would also mean that people will be exposed to an additional out-of-pocket expense of up to $100, based on their medical bills.

The company claims it can unilaterally implement this increase since the coverage is “comparable” to this year’s plan, even with the $100 increase in potential out-of-pocket expenses to our members.

The Teamsters in the mailroom also rejected the deductible increase, and subsequently, received the same notice from the company as did the Guild.

Consequently, the Guild is currently researching its options with the International union as it considers a potential response. At this point, the company has indicated it is moving ahead to increase the deductible in 2019.

We will keep you advised. Please share your thoughts on this with any Guild officer: Brian Nearing (x5094) Amanda Fries (x5353), Marianne Mahr (x5589), Jennifer Rodd (x5597), Rob Gavin (x5064), Mark Hempstead (x5675), and Jeff Boyer (x5429).