• They want management rights

    November 9, 2022 /

    Bargaining Bulletin #11:

    After the Albany Newspaper Guild provided a comprehensive analysis of the Times Union’s management rights proposal, union negotiators then countered with a much briefer proposal. In response, the company literally threw out its overreaching and overly broad language in its initial proposal and countered with a much slimmer version.

    It took company negotiators weeks to come up with their latest proposal which they presented during the most recent bargaining session last week. Obviously crafted by a crackerjack team of corporate lawyers, it contains language right out of what many would consider a standard management rights’ clause in a 1950s contract. The proposal, if accepted, would give the company ownership over anything any staff member created on their own time. If a staffer wrote a book, painted a picture, or pursued any other creative venture the company would have ownership.

    The Guild countered by crossing out the language and reducing it to a simple phrase which stated that the company owned only the work product created by staffers while on the job.

    Company negotiators owe the Guild a response on this counter proposal. Currently the timing of a response is unknown since no future bargaining dates have been scheduled. Representatives said they were bargaining with the pressmen this week.

    The negotiating teams continued discussions on outsourcing language. The Guild is working diligently to achieve better seniority language than what the Company accomplished through its imposed terms and conditions. Union negotiators also are examining other ways to improve protections once the arbitration process is reinstated with a new contract agreement.

    There were hang ups on how to let members of the Guild bargaining unit know when jobs are open so anyone can submit an application. Company representatives said that the jobs are posted through the Hearst Co. website but admitted not all of them are, including job openings in Albany. The Guild wants people to continue to have a local opportunity to seek a new job at the Times Union and apply if they are interested.

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  • Pittsburgh Guild Goes on Strike

    October 18, 2022 /

    The 101-member Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh walked out Tuesday at high noon on strike against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

    The Pittsburgh Guild joins a fellow CWA local and a Teamsters local on the picket lines in the unfair labor practice strike.

    Our international TNG-CWA called an emergency ZOOM meeting of Guild local presidents, staff and other officials to provide information about the strike.

    The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh and TNG-CWA are deep into dealing with the picket line and other strike-related matters. TNG-CWA is working on establishing ways to provide support to our fellow Guild members while they are on strike.

    As soon as we know more about providing support we will let everyone know.

    For information about what’s going on in Pittsburgh, visit the Pittsburgh Guild’s website.

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  • Time to Raise Everyone’s Pay

    October 18, 2022 /

    Bargaining Bulletin #10:

    The Albany Newspaper Guild presented its comprehensive economic proposal to the Times Union on Wednesday as talks continue for a new contract.

    The Guild negotiating team pointed out that inflation is currently 42.84 percent, a significant increase since our last contractual raise in 2007. The Guild also provided management negotiators with current reports from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicated that the average weekly salary in Albany County is $1,503. Our key pay category (Class C in the contract), at a weekly pay rate of $998.48, is about 66 percent of the County’s average.

    Our union proposed a five-year contract, bonuses and pay raises. We are seeking pension and 401K improvements. We also proposed that each unit member receive two cases of Hearst premium vintage wine.

    We added a new contract section proposing an annual Cost of Living Adjustment if inflation exceeds 4 percent. This would be in addition to the negotiated pay increases.

    We also proposed a formula of one exempt manager for every five Guild-represented employees.

    We anticipated the company bargaining team would respond to our proposals on outsourcing and management rights made a week earlier. The company management team didn’t have any counter proposals for these major contract topics they had previously indicated were important to them. Their team said their response to our management rights proposal had not been completed.

    Bargaining will resume Nov. 2 and 3.

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  • Contract Bargaining Back on Track

    October 7, 2022 /

    Bargaining Bulletin #9:

    The Albany Newspaper Guild resumed bargaining Wednesday and Thursday for a new contract with the Times Union reaching a tentative agreement on sick leave.

    Both sides agreed to short-term disability coverage for members of the Guild unit. Members will no longer have to rely on accumulated sick time or on donations of sick time to cover the six weeks of short-term disability.

    Current employees will be able to use accumulated sick time to cover the weeks between the end of short-term and long-term disability to receive their full salaries which would otherwise be 50 percent. The donating of sick time and banking of sick time will end.

    The Guild offered counter proposals on outsourcing and job security. These areas led to an impasse being declared during the last round of contract bargaining in 2008-09. The company has not yet responded.

    The Guild and Times Union representatives also discussed other topics. Both sides will return to the table on Oct. 12 and Oct 13 to continue negotiations.

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