Mercury News Bargaining Bulletin 9

MN proposes 15% pay cuts

21 Jan 2009

California Media Workers Guild

MediaNews negotiators on Wednesday proposed that the salaries of Guild members be reduced by 15 percent under the collective bargaining agreement now being negotiated.

The salary of veteran reporters, editors and advertising sales people earning the current scale of $1,279.51 a week would find their pay cut $383.86 every paycheck, issued every other week. The scale for experienced copy clerks, now at $598.53 a week, would be reduced $179.56 per pay check.

Employees earning above scale – say, the hypothetical reporter earning $80,000 – would find their paychecks cut $461.54 each pay period, under the company proposal.

The harsh cuts proposed by the company Wednesday did not end there.

Advertising sales representatives would have their guaranteed salaries cut even further, and would be expected to earn the rest from increased commissions.

The clause in the contract protecting the pay increases of employees earning more than scale would be wiped out, opening the door for the company to erase any merit increases that employees had earned raising their salaries above scale.

Shift differentials for specialized jobs, and night differentials would be abolished.

And vacation pay would be reduced – employees would not get three weeks of vacation until after three years of service, and would not earn a fourth week until after 10 years. Employees would not, under the company proposal, ever enjoy five weeks off.

The proposals, presented to Guild negotiators on Wednesday, come as company negotiators trying to find ways to increase the company’s bottom line have turned their eyes to employees’ earnings and benefits. The proposal comes on top of previous cuts the company continues to seek, including removing large numbers of members from the unit, and removing caps on the amount employees pay for health insurance premiums.

Guild negotiators -- Sylvia Ulloa of the newsroom, local president; Bill Russell of advertising; Rick Tulsky of the newsroom, as well as Darren Carroll of The Newspaper Guild-CWA and administrative staff members Luther Jackson and Suzanne Arnaud -- told the company they need time to fashion a response.

Guild members are encouraged to discuss their thoughts with negotiating committee members, who also include unit chair Mary Anne Ostrom -- who was absent because she had not yet returned from assignment in Washington.

Representing the Mercury News were Andy Huntington and Jim Janiga.

Local president Sylvia Ulloa and the rest of the bargaining committee would like to hear your reaction to the Mercury News' economic proposal and to get your thoughts about a Guild strategy.  

You can reach Sylvia via e-mail at: sylvia@sjguild.org

She and others will be available to schedule face to face talks with individuals and small groups.