• 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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  • Board Elected

    September 9, 2022 /

    The Albany Newspaper Guild elected a seven-member Executive Board Thursday to serve three-year terms of office.

    The new board is composed of President Ken Crowe, Vice President Ty Stewart, Secretary Wendy Liberatore, Treasurer Theresa LaPoint, Chief Steward Rob Gavin, and At-Large Board Members David Johnson and Paul Nelson.

    The board members are committed to completing negotiations for a new contract.

    “We’ve been fortunate to have an extremely dedicated board for the last three years. The election results guarantee that our local will continue to have strong and involved leadership,” said President Ken Crowe.

    “The board’s primary goal continues to be negotiating a new contract for local unit members,” Crowe said.

    Crowe, Stewart, LaPoint, Gavin, and Johnson were re-elected to their posts. Liberatore, who was appointed as secretary in August to fill a vacancy, and Nelson won their first elections.

    At-Large Board Member Jeff Boyer will leave office at the end of the year

    The board takes office Jan. 1, 2023 and serves through Dec. 31, 2025.

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  • Annual Membership Meeting & Election of All Guild Officers

    September 8, 2022 /

    The annual membership meeting of the Albany Newspaper Guild, Local 31034, TNG-CWA has been called for 6 p.m. Thursday, September 8, 2022.  The meeting will be held via Zoom.

    At the meeting members will be asked to elect the seven members of the local Executive Board to three-year terms that begin Jan. 1, 2023 and run through Dec. 31, 2025. (Election Information is posted below)

    You must be a member in good standing (paying dues) to participate in the meeting and to vote on any measures that come before the local.

    The membership will also be asked to elect delegates to represent the Local at any TNG-CWA meetings for the year ahead.

    Any other matters may also be brought up at the annual meeting.

    The monthly Executive Board meeting will follow on the same Zoom call.

    Please email office@albanyguild.org for Zoom login info.

    Agenda

    1. Call to Order
    2. Elections — President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Steward, At-large Board Member, and At-large Board Member. Delegates for TNG-CWA meetings.
    3. Annual Local Report
    4. Update on Contract Negotiations
    5. Update on In-Person Training Oct. 29-20 at Albany Labor Temple.
    6. Other Business
    7. Adjourn

    Election Information:

    The Executive Board positions up for election are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Steward, two (2) At-large Board Members and Delegates to TNG-CWA meetings for 2023. The Executive Board terms are three (3) years.  The terms will run from Jan. 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025.

    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.

    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 Wendy Liberatore 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.

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  • Liberatore appointed Local Secretary

    August 18, 2022 /

    Wendy Liberatore has been appointed unanimously by the local Executive Board as secretary of the Albany Newspaper Guild, Local 31034, TNG-CWA.

    Wendy works as a reporter for the Times Union covering Saratoga County.

    Wendy has been active as a shop steward, providing advice and serving as a key member of the local’s bargaining team. Wendy completed training in May in Buffalo at the Cornell Industrial Labor Relations School program.

    Wendy joins the Executive Board immediately and will serve the remaining months of former local secretary Massarah Mikati, who left to join the Philadelphia Inquirer where she is now a member of the Philadelphia Guild.

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