The Hearst Corp. has proposed a merger of the existing Guild pension fund with another company fund. Union trustees are weighing whether to begin talks about merging the two funds.

On the upside, the merger could potentially strengthen the fund financially and secure benefits for a longer time frame. The downside is that Guild trustees would no longer have any say in how the funds are invested or what benefit changes are made.

The plan’s actuary, who is now independent, says our fund is sound through 2010 but could see a shortfall in 2011 and beyond. What happens is dependent on circumstances that cannot be predicted: how the stock market fares and whether Congress passes legislation, now proposed, that would aid pension funds like ours.

If there was a shortfall and a major contribution increase was needed to sustain the fund, the Company says it would look to layoffs to pay for it. This comes despite the fact that the Company has refused for more than 20 years to increase the contribution despite a steadily shrinking workforce.

The Company also won’t guarantee that it would not lay anyone off even if we merged the plans, which would result in considerable savings for the Hearst Corp.

The Hearst Broadcast Fund that the Company wants our plan to merge with is currently overfunded, but the Company is moving other plans into it in a way that could, over time, sharply diminish its surplus.

Our pension fund was not “a gift” from the Company. The Hearst Corp. was opposed to creating a pension fund, and Guild members went on strike to gain one in 1964. The result was not only a pension plan here in Albany, but other Hearst papers followed suit. Every penny that goes into our fund was diverted from wages.

If the Guild trustees decide to go ahead with negotiations over merging the two plans, a critical element will be language in the merger agreement that keeps our benefits intact for years to come. The Guild trustees are in the midst of getting input from our International and its attorney. We will keep you posted on any developments.

The Guild’s pension trustees are John Runfola, Mark Corelli, Christine Wright and Ken Crowe.

We have lots to talk about at the membership meeting from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Colonie Public Library.

We’ll have nominations to fill a seat on the Executive Board. (If there is one nominee, the person will be elected there. If there is more than one, we’ll have a mail ballot.) We’ll have updates on ongoing discussions over a major change proposed for our pension plan. We’ll discuss the ongoing legal case stemming from our negotiations. We’ll talk about the parking issues and about the merging of the advertising art and marketing departments.

Best of all, we’ll hear from you as to what’s on your mind.

We hope to see you there!

Imagine you’re an ad salesperson, about to drive to meet with a client and seal a deal that could earn the Times Union hundreds of thousands of dollars. You walk out into the parking lot, all excited about the great work you’ve done, only to discover….the Company has towed your car.

Or you’re a reporter assigned to a breaking news story. You’re working overtime, but no one told the security guard. You emerge after a long night after breaking an exclusive story for the newspaper that will be on Page One. Your reward is that your car is gone, and the Company expects you to pay for it.

Once again, the Times Union has violated the law. The new parking rules are a change in working conditions and a mandatory subject of bargaining. But no, as usual, the Company did not come to the union and seek to discuss it. A letter informing the Company to cease and desist has been sent. We’ve informed the Times Union that should anyone’s car be towed under this illegally imposed policy, the Times Union will be liable for the towing fees and any damages to your vehicle.

A charge is also being filed with the National Labor Relations Board over this latest failure to negotiate.

A letter sent to Guild members from MVP states that the insurance provider wants to significantly raise the costs for some drugs.

The letter states that MVP wants to change the rules for when an employee receives a brand-name drug when there is a generic version available. Rather than charge the $50 brand-name co-pay, MVP wants to charge you the generic co-pay AND the difference between the cost of the brand-name and generic drugs.

This would be a huge difference, potentially hundreds of dollars more. Often the generic drugs work fine, but many of us have discovered over the years that some do not work as well and getting the name brand is necessary.

MVP also wants to make other changes including ending coverage for any immunizations or vaccinations taken solely as a precaution if you travel inside or outside the United States. MVP also wants to raise the copayment for mail-order drugs.

The Guild will soon be sitting down with the Company and the insurance broker to discuss next year’s rates and any changes. The Company is still required to keep any plan comparable to what we already have. We will keep you posted as soon as we have information to share.

In a few days, we’ll be giving you a health-care survey (which will also be available online at the Guild Web site) to get your views on the MVP plan.

Why pay dues? Does the Guild still have any say? What can the union do next? Are we still going to party?

These are all good questions we’ve been getting from our members.

We’ve been a little focused elsewhere lately, as the National Labor Relations Board has been reviewing our legal case in response to the Times Union’s recent actions. We’ve spent our time giving sworn affidavits and getting documents to the board. We expect the Times Union to be charged shortly, frankly, with breaking the law repeatedly in its dealings with the Guild. We’ll advise you as soon as that becomes official.

We are also planning a membership meeting for early November, to be held at lunch time nearby, so that you can learn about what is happening and what it means to you. There will be a seat on the Executive Board to fill as well. We’ll provide you with information on how to run or to nominate someone as soon as we have a meeting date and place set.

As for the Guild, we continue to do what we’ve always done. We are preparing for the annual discussion with the Company of next year’s health insurance rates. We will be giving you a survey soon on your experiences with MVP (and letting you complete the survey online.)

And, yes, we are still planning to have our annual Holiday Party at the Pump Station. It’s scheduled for Friday, December 4. You can bring one date (spouses count as dates, you know) but you must be a member in good standing to attend, naturally.

If you’ve fallen behind on your dues, please do try to catch up because the amount owed will continue to increase. All of it will have to be paid at the time of a settlement. It’s unfair for some people to pay for the benefits they receive and others not to do so.

And let’s clear up any confusion: The Company cannot impose any other changes. It cannot suddenly decide to lay more people off without negotiation or without paying severance. It cannot decide to split people’s days off or to impose pay cuts. Your pension benefits are still in place, the rules for how much vacation time you get and how those weeks are assigned all still apply. Almost all of the provisions of the contract remain in effect.

The Guild has been at the Times Union 75 years this year. We’re still here, proudly serving our members, and will be for a long time to come. If you have any questions, please call my cell phone at 466-8700. If I am working, I’ll return the call and we’ll find a mutually agreeable time to talk.

Tim O’Brien