The Santa Rosa unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild has begun meeting with the new owners of the Press Democrat to discuss how to reach a bargaining agreement while the company seeks to reduce operating costs. In response to what the Guild calls the owners' "wish list," the union is offering a package of savings that includes rollbacks in pay, pension and 401(k) benefits. “There is no doubt these proposals represent painful sacrifice," unit chair Derek Moore said. "But they also offer substantial gains for our members, not least of which is job security for the life of the contract.”
The California Federation of Interpreters is among the groups elated about the defeat of Proposition 32, a measure that sought to prevent unions from using member dues for political purposes. CFI members helped get the word out about the detrimental measure. Throughout the state, they wore buttons, distributed materials, volunteered to phone bank or knocked on doors. “Every type of union, from police to firefighters to us .... all pulled together for this one,” CFI president Michael Ferreira said.
In a rare public announcement about its internal business, the Providence Journal is reporting that it laid off 23 fulltime workers on Wednesday as part of a cost-cutting effort, including 16 members of the Providence Guild. Local President John Hill said, "This layoff, though not the largest we've endured, is particularly painful because of the quality of the people we are going to lose."
New York Guild members will vote next week on a contract that Guild leaders say, "contains something Times management set out to avoid: more dollars for employees. Although the tentative agreement reflects compromises on the Guild’s part too, it preserves core benefits management had targeted for elimination and will leave Guild-represented employees better compensated than they are now."
The sale of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat from Florida-based Halifax Media Group to a local partnership is good news, members of the paper's Pacific Media Workers Guild unit say. "We appreciate the efforts of our previous owners and wish them well, but we believe local ownership offers the best chance to achieve what we all want, and that is for The Press Democrat to continue being the North Bay’s premier source for quality local journalism," part of their statement reads. Photo: Santa Rosa members discuss the sale.
In our ongoing project to bring you quotes about the Guild, from the earliest days to present times, today we quote Alan Barth, a Washington Post editorial writer speaking 60 years ago (Dec. 5, 1952) at the Sixth Annual Newspaper Guild Memorial Lecture, at the University of Minnesota. Click to read what he meant when he said, "Hollywood's loss was journalism's gain." Photo: Still from "His Girl Friday" (1940)
Hearst Corp. has offered its first significant move toward settling the San Francisco Chronicle Guild contract, proposing a four-year deal that would nudge pay higher each year while dramatically changing how health benefits are provided.
A long bargaining session with a mediator on Sunday as led to a tentative contract for Guild members at the New York Times, after 20 months of negotiations. Details will be released soon. Congratulations to our New York leaders and members for all they have done to make this possible.
Staff —
October 27, 2012— The Newspaper Guild of New York
In an attempt to close the significant financial gap between them, the New York Guild and Times management negotiators will resume mediated talks on Sunday for a scheduled seven-hour session.
A Pacific Media Workers Guild rally in support of a fair health care plan for San Francisco Chronicle workers drew hundreds of people outside the Chronicle building during the noon hour Thursday, Oct. 25. The local's coverage includes a photo gallery, video and radio interview with local Executive Officer Carl Hall. Photo by Mike Kepka.
