The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia Inquirer
The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia and Interstate General Media have struck a tentative agreement that will keep the presses running daily in Philly for the next two years. In a post describing the deal, the Guild says members will take a 2.5 percent pay cut, but there will be no layoffs in the contract’s first year. Also, the company will begin “an annual employee review program, in order to give feedback to employees on their job performance.”
Publisher Robert Hall told the Inquirer’s Mike Armstrong that IGM “should be profitable this year” if the agreement is ratified. A vote is scheduled for next week.
Guild officials had contended the job reviews were a way to separate senior staff from the news organizations, but they “will not be used as a mechanism to fire longtime employees,” the Guild writes.
Also there will be two furlough weeks for employees at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. But seniority wasn’t changed, and there is a structure for buyouts:
The company agreed to a one-time Economic Transition Fund to provide an enhanced voluntary separation program to Guild newsroom employees with thirty (30) or more years of service. Details about that program will be coming from the company tomorrow (2/1) or Monday (2/4).
Previously: Philadelphia group launches campaign to save newspapers | Philly Guild, owners find room to negotiate | Guild head resigns as Philly news orgs face growing turmoil | Guild: Owners say they may liquidate or sell Philly papers this month
