The names may have changed, but the newest management negotiators closely mimicked their predecessors on Friday by issuing contract demands that effectively would cut our pay by working longer hours, reduce severance, limit job security, raise health care contributions, allow all EICs to do our work whenever they want and apparently cut vacations.

Instead of providing a “redlined” version of its proposed new contract that would show where management wants changes, Thomson Reuters negotiators buried their demands in their 78-page document, leaving us to find the landmines. Management also merely dropped off its proposals, refusing to discuss them.

Management’s tactic of hiding their proposals in a large document is eerily reminiscent of their last team of negotiators, who presented at least 19 versions of their “final” proposals. They needed that many because the Guild forced them to constantly issue new versions after we uncovered items management had tried to sneak by us. When confronted then, management had a wide range of excuses from typos to computer malfunctions. Strangely, though, all of the “mistakes” were in management’s favor.

With that experience of management subterfuge as a guide, the Guild Bargaining Committee, without a redlined version of management’s proposals this time around, will have to spend a great deal of time reviewing the demands. That will necessarily delay the beginning of substantive negotiations.

But a quick review of management’s demands revealed some of the company’s harshest proposals.

Thomson Reuters says that “any salary increases during the term of the Agreement shall be based on the overall contract, company financial performance, employee productivity and market conditions.”

In other words: don’t count on any wage increase. Management’s language gives them the right to not only move the goal posts but to cut them down.

“Vacations shall be granted according to corporate policy.” So, no guarantees. Management is saying, “We’ll decide how much vacation you get as we go along.”

Thomson Reuters wants to sharply reduce restrictions on Editors-In-Charge and Assistant Picture Editors doing our work. Management wants them to work the number of hours we work each week, anytime for essentially any reason. Now, at least, only those EICs who are named by Thomson Reuters as part of the 1 in 10 ratio of EICs to Guild members can work our hours.

Beginning January 1, 2010, Thomson Reuters insists that Guild employees pay 25% of the calculated monthly cost, and 25% of any increases in the future, of medical and dental insurance premiums charged to Thomson Reuters.

It is surprising that in the face of the financial upheaval and the competition to be the supplier of financial information of choice and still grappling with issues about the recent merger that Thomson Reuters would want to risk damaging the morale of the people – Guild members – who keep the company running.

But it should be remembered that the last group of managers started negotiations with a laundry list of demands and we were able to eventually get a good contract. It was a long struggle last time and while we would like to reach agreement on a contract as soon as possible, we are prepared for the long haul again. We also are prepared to use any and all of our resources and experience that very well may include those of our parent union, CWA.

We will report back to members the results of our more complete review of management’s proposals as well as with the date for negotiations to really begin.