BJ proposal would decimate Guild contract

There's a dismal report from Bob DeMay, the BJ's Guild chair. The Canadian's economic proposal, after 16 months of negotiations, includes:

-- 17% pay cut.

-- 25% to 36% cut in wages and benefits combined.

-- BJ refuses to let Guild see the books.

-- Management not included in pay and benefits cuts.

-- Guild benefits reduced to those provided non-union employees in many instances.

-- No BJ health care coverage once retirees are on Medicare.

-- No 401(k) matching funds.

-- Reduced vacation weeks.

-- No free parking. (This one seems particularly insulting and cheap.)

There are so many more disheartening parts of the proposal that I'll let DeMay's report handle them. The Guild report on the company proposals:

The company isn't pleading poverty, but wants you to

Your Guild bargaining team met with the company Monday, where after 16 months the company revealed its economic proposal. The 19 issues in the proposal opened with the company reneging on a previous tentative agreement over severance pay and closed with a 17% pay cut. If you could think of a benefit you have now, it probably was included in the other 17 cuts.

A quick estimate by the Guild, according to figures supplied by the company, the cuts to wages and benefits combined would fall between 25 - 36 percent depending on your seniority and health care coverage.

When asked if the company was willing to open the books company negotiator Karen Lefton stated that owner David Black was a very private individual and would keep his business matters private as well. When pushed on the issue by Guild staff representative Bruce Nelson, Lefton stated, "we are not saying we are not making a profit, we aren't pleading poverty." She went on to say that the company is not unable to pay at current levels, it just doesn't want to.

The Guild bargaining committee was told that newsroom managers would not be included in the cost-cutting proposals being asked of Guild members. The cuts, all coming from Guild members, would total $1,250,000 per year. The majority of that coming in salary ($667,323) and freezing of the pension plan ($350,000).

The company's proposal in its entirety is below along with notes on what is currently in place. It is not readily apparent by reading the proposal, but Item 17 eliminates life insurance benefits for all current employees, even before you retire.

While we're sure you will share you feelings on the proposal with your bargaining committee, it is just as important that you make your feelings known to the company.

The two sides resume bargaining next Thursday.

If you have questions see any member of the bargaining committee who were at Monday's meeting which included, Bob DeMay, John Higgins, Yvonne Bruce and Jim Mackinnon.

October 19, 2009
Company's Economic Proposal to the Guild

1. Severance: [Article IX, Section 1] Reduce to one week of pay for every year of service, up to maximum of 26 weeks. (Current contract has a maximum of 52 weeks)

2. Night differential: [Article XI, Section 3] Eliminate.
(Current contract $7 per shift worked)

3. Double time: [Article XI, Sections 7 and 9] Change all references from "double time" to "time-and-a-half." (i.e. for shifts where schedule has been changed, holiday eves.)
(Current contract pays double time for hours worked after 6 pm on Christmas and New Years Eve as well as overtime hours worked on a day your schedule has been changed)

4. Sunday work: [Article XI, Section 8] Eliminate.
(Current contract state you can only work a maximum of 36 Sundays per year)

5. Call-back pay: [Article XI, Section 11] Eliminate guarantee of three hours' pay if an Employee is called back. Employee would get paid for whatever time he/she works.
(Current contract calls for a minimum of three hours pay)

6. Vacation: [Article XIII, Section 1] New vacation schedule. All employees currently not at 5 weeks will max out at 4 weeks, based on this schedule:
(a) Two weeks of vacation after one year of employment, to be taken in second calendar year.
(b) Three weeks of vacation after nine years of employment, to be taken in the tenth calendar year.
(c) Four weeks of vacation after 15 years of employment, to be taken in the 16th calendar year.
(d) Employees who currently have five weeks will be grandfathered.

(Current contract language:
(a) In the first calendar year of employment, one day of vacation earned for each twenty-six (26) days worked, but in no event less than five (5) paid vacation days, to be taken in the second (2nd) calendar year.
(b) In the second calendar year of continuous service, two (2) weeks earned (one [1] day for every twenty-six [26] days worked), to be taken in the third (3rd) calendar year.
(c) In the third (3rd) calendar year of continuous service, three (3) weeks of vacation earned (one [1] day for every seventeen [17] days worked), to be taken in the fourth (4th) calendar year.
(d) In the seventh (7th) calendar year of continuous service, four (4) weeks of vacation earned (one [1] day for every thirteen [13] days worked), to be taken in the eighth (8th) calendar year.
(e) In the fifteenth (15th) calendar year of continuous service, five (5) weeks of vacation earned (one [1] day for every ten [10] days worked), to be taken in the sixteenth (16th) calendar year.

7. Service bonus: [Article XIII, Section 4] Eliminate.
(Current contract language: an employee in the editorial department with five (5) or more continuous years of employment shall be paid on the first payday after March 1, a bonus of Seven Dollars ($7.00) for each year the employee has worked for the EMPLOYER as of December 31 of that calendar year. If the employee has not completed five (5) years of employment at the time he or she takes the first week of such vacation, this bonus shall be postponed until the employee has completed five (5) years of employment.

8. Sick leave: [Article XIV]
A. No sick pay shall be paid until the third consecutive day of absence due to illness or injury.
B. Sick pay shall be paid at 70 percent of full pay.
C. Maximum of 13 weeks of sick leave for all non-probationary employees. (No sick leave for those still on their probationary period.)

(Current contract language: Sick leave with full pay shall be granted to all employees as per the following schedule:
(a) Probationary Period: No sick leave.
(b) After Probationary Period: Employees hired after October 25, 1989, thirteen (13) weeks of sick leave for ninety (90) days to two (2) years' service; twenty six (26) weeks of sick leave after two (2) years of service.
In no event shall an employee receive more than 200 percent of his/her sick leave entitlement in a rolling 24 months, the first day of which cannot precede the date of signing of this Agreement.
(c) Employees hired before October 25, 1989: Twenty-six (26) weeks of sick leave to five (5) years' service. After five (5) years' service fifty-two (52) weeks of sick leave. In no event shall an employee receive more than 150 percent of his/her sick leave entitlement in a rolling 24 months, the first day of which cannot precede the date of signing of this Agreement.

9. Leaves of Absence: [Article XV, Section 7] During an authorized leave of absence, coverage for all insurance shall be continued only if the Employee, at his/her discretion, agrees to pay the full amount of such coverage for the duration of his/her absence.
(Currently employees only pay their share of medical premiums)

10. Mileage: [Article XXI, Section l(b)] Cap at the rate set by the IRS.
(Current contract language has no cap, but is also below the current IRS rate)

11. Parking: [Article XXI, Section 1 (d)]: Eliminate.
(Current language: The EMPLOYER shall provide free parking to all employees required to have a motor vehicle available for the service of the EMPLOYER.)

12. 401(k): [Article XXIV, Section 5] Delete last sentence, eliminating the match.

(Current contract: The EMPLOYER agrees to merge the Union 401(k) plan into the plan provided for non-bargaining unit employees, thereby providing the bargaining unit employees the same investment options and the same opportunity to make pre-tax contributions as it provides to non-bargaining unit employees. In addition, the EMPLOYER agrees to contribute twenty-five (25) cents for each dollar contributed by an employee up to a maximum of six (6) percent of the employee’s salary to the 401(k) plan.

13. Health insurance: [Article XXV, Section 1] Bargaining unit employees shall pay the same percentage as that paid by non-union employees of the Employer.
(Current contract: single employees pay 19.7% of health care premiums, all other employees pay 26.9% of premiums.

14. Health insurance: [Article XXV] Medical benefits for current retirees who are not yet Medicare eligible shall be available to them at the same cost as to active employees until they become Medicare eligible, at which time all Company benefits shall cease.

15. Health insurance: [Article XXV] Current retirees who are Medicare eligible shall not be entitled to any further health care benefit from the Company.
(Current language: Employees who retired from the Beacon Journal prior to December 31, 1997, shall receive health and life insurance benefits as provided for in Article XXV of the August 25, 2000, collective bargaining agreement.

16. Disability insurance: [Article XXV, Section 1] Disability insurance shall be offered at the same cost as offered to independent employees.
(Current contract: benefit is available at no cost to Guild employees)

17. Life insurance: [Article XXV, Section 3] Employees retiring after January 1, 2010, shall not be entitled to life insurance.
(Current contract: employee premium for 1 and one half times annual salary paid in full)

18. Pension: [A_rtic1e XXV, Section 5] Pension plan shall be frozen, effective January 1,2010.
(Current language provides defined benefit upon retirement)

19. Wages: Reduce by 17 percent across the board.
(Current contract scale: Top minimum for reporters, copy editors, artist and photographers of $1112.00 per week would be reduced to $922.96)

NOTE: The Company reserves the right to amend, eliminate, or add to the foregoing proposals or to add additional proposals through the negotiation process.

Bob DeMay
Akron Unit Chair Local 1 TNG
(330) 996-3887 (work)
(330) 329-6503 (cell)
bjguild@earthlink.net