March 12, 2008

 

Contract Agreement at Amsterdam News

Tentative Four-Year Pact Includes Bonuses;

 Historic Company 401(k) contribution and match;

     No Worker Medical Contribution

 

Guild negotiators tentatively agreed to a four-year contract with the Amsterdam News last Thursday night, giving our members a four-year pact that sets new contract standards for the Harlem weekly newspaper.

 

Much of the impetus for the new deal, which runs until April 1, 2011, centered around a new health plan Guild President Bill O’Meara made available to the company that is expected to save it a substantial amount of money over the life of the contract. The previous contract’s wage provisions had expired on April 1, 2007.

 

O’Meara, who led the talks for the Guild, arranged for and proposed that the company switch its medical coverage to a health plan that includes medical, prescriptions, dental, vision, life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage at a cost that was less expensive than the company’s previous plan for medical coverage alone.

The new health plan is administered by the United Furniture Worker’s Health Plan, a division of our parent union, the CWA.

 

In addition to O’Meara, the Unit’s negotiating committee included Unit Chair Lamar Jones, Nicole Davis, Shahiydah Sanders and Local Representative John Phillips.

 

The improvements in the new contract, which will be submitted for ratification by members on March 15, include:

 

·      A 4% bonus for all Guild members on the payroll as of April 1, 2007 and a pro-rated bonus for those who began employment after April 1, 2007.

• 4% wage increases effective April 1, 2008 and 2009 and a 3.5% increase effective April 1, 2010.

• Elimination of employees’ contributions to the medical plan

• First-time company contribution of 1% per year to employees’ 401(k) plans and up to an additional 1% company match of employees’ contributions.

• Severance based on employees’ wages at the time of termination (previously it had been frozen at the 1995 wage rate).

• A new one week’s paid parental leave upon the birth, or the adoption of a child.

• Holiday bonuses of $150.00 for the last three years of the contract.

 

There were no givebacks.

 

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3/12/08