City Pages | Star Tribune | Star Tribune Newspaper Guild
Star Tribune Guild members approved a contract Wednesday that guarantees them 2 percent raises this year and in 2015. The deal, Olivia LaVecchia reports, was "one of the better Guild contracts negotiated nationally in the past year," Guild official Janet Moore wrote in an email. (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia and Interstate General Media "agreed to begin early bargaining on a new contract," Guild Executive Director Bill Ross and Acting President Howard Gensler tell members in an email. The agreement came during "a productive meeting" Thursday morning.

IGM owns the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Its owners had demanded $8 million in concessions from the union or would begin liquidating the company, the Guild said last Friday. Guild President Dan Gross resigned Wednesday after he said he was taking a buyout from the Daily News.

If the parties can't come to an agreement or if the Guild's members don't approve an agreement, the Guild says, "our existing contract stays in effect until it expires in October."

Daniel Denvir published an account of the news organizations' struggles' in Philadelphia City Paper Thursday, looking at "questionable editorial choices" and some newsroom sniping about Inquirer Editor Bill Marimow.

Former Sun columnist Mike Littwin, according to sources, infuriated Marimow by writing a union memo critical of management. Littwin came to Marimow’s office and told him, “Bill, it isn’t personal.” Marimow opened a copy of The Godfather and pointed out the passage where Michael Corleone says, “Don’t let anybody kid you. It’s all personal.” Littwin was transferred soon thereafter; he filed a grievance and won a settlement, sources say.

Here's the Guild memo: (more...)

The New York Times Company and the Newspaper Guild of New York have reached a tentative deal for a newsroom contract, ending a prolonged dispute. Guild President Bill O'Meara sends along a statement:

The Guild and The Times have reached conceptual agreement on a new five-year contract. The tentative compromise reached late today with the aid of a mediator is subject to ratification by Guild members. At the request of Mediator Martin Scheinman, details will not be released until language is finalized. The Guild Negotiating Committee has voted to support the settlement, which preserves a Defined Benefit Pension, protects the jointly trusteed medical plan, and includes increases in compensation. We will provide more information in coming days, and a ratification meeting will be scheduled in the near future.

Earlier this month the Times Co. and the Guild agreed to bring their dispute to a mediator, Martin Scheinman. (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia
The new owners of the Philadelphia newspapers are demanding immediate concessions from the Guild that represents employees of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com, union officials Dan Gross and Bill Ross write in a blog post.

They say Gerry Lenfest and Lewis Katz, members of the group of local businessmen who bought the news organizations in April, met with Guild reps and:

spoke of the dire financial situation facing the company, and reiterated management’s recent request that the Guild bargain a concessionary contract now, despite the fact that our contract with the employer is in effect until October 2013.

In a letter to employees last month, IGM CEO Bob Hall told employees revenue at the company was down $16 million from the year before. It told the Guild the same day it would seek $28 million in cuts. (more...)

A day after the Newspaper Guild of New York told members that New York Times management "dropped a bomb" by proposing separate contracts for print and digital employees, management is sending its own message: We'd prefer a single, unified contract if the Guild will agree to our terms.

In a note sent Tuesday, the Guild said "management’s dual-contract demand apparently is a legal maneuver to preserve its option to declare the talks at 'impasse' – a rarely used draconian move that would enable management to impose its 'last, best' contract offer on members."

Steve Myers explains:

Until now, both sides have been working toward a single contract to replace the two agreements that expired in March 2011. The process has been complicated because the digital contract is less generous than the print one, and the company wants the union to agree to terms closer to that contract. About 1,000 employees are covered by the print contract; 100 by the digital one.

Here's the letter that the company sent Wednesday afternoon to its employees: (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of New York
The Guild told its members Tuesday that it believes The New York Times is trying to kill contract talks so that it can impose harsh terms on its employees without coming to an agreement with the union. On Tuesday, according to the Guild, the company "dropped a bomb" on contract negotiations by suddenly presenting proposals for two separate contracts, one for print employees and another for digital.

Until now, both sides have been working toward a single contract to replace the two agreements that expired in March 2011. The process has been complicated because the digital contract is less generous than the print one, and the company wants the union to agree to terms closer to that contract. About 1,000 employees are covered by the print contract; 100 by the digital one. (more...)

Romenesko Misc.
Lauri Lebo of The Newspaper Guild writes me: "The Guild is conducting a survey to get a feel of how freelancers are faring today. Does it suck? Not so bad? Doing terrific, thank you very much? We are seeking important feedback from people about ways organized labor could help improve the state of freelancing, whether it be print, video, blogging or photography." The union is asking freelancers to fill out its survey so it can use the results "to build a support system for those who remain committed to acts of journalism without the assurance of a steady paycheck."