January 18, 2001

 S&P GIVETH

AND S&P TAKETH AWAY

Three steps forward and two steps back! 

. . . Forward

           In a recent Spotlight, we reported about progress that had been made at a negotiating session on Friday, January 5. At that meeting, we reached a tentative agreement, conceptually anyway, to a four-item package that would, among other things, provide out members with a subsidy toward a Health Club membership. 

The Guild took several of its job-security proposals off the table and company negotiators seemed interested in talking about the provisions that remained. And the parties appeared very, very close to a tentative agreement concerning vacations. 

Standard & Poor’s proposal regarding vacations was essentially that the Guild adopt the McGraw-Hill schedule, which is nearly identical to our current plan except that it’s better in the first year of employment and runs on a calendar year instead of our present June-to-May vacation year. 

The Guild’s Local Representative, Bob Townsend, our lead negotiator, told the company we’d agree to the proposal if we could have the ability to carry over unused vacation for a year or cash it out. Company negotiators appeared to agree and we left Friday, January 5’s negotiating session feeling we were on the verge of an agreement concerning vacations.

. . . Back

            Then came a session on Wednesday, January 10, at the Guild’s Broadway office and the company presented proposed language concerning vacations. 

The company’s proposal contained the following provision:

          “Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, all vacation must be scheduled and used by December 31 of the year in which it was earned or it will be forfeited. Employees who have twenty (20) or more years of service and who receive 5 weeks of vacation annually may elect to carry over one (1) week of unused vacation into the next calendar year. An employee, who because of business needs of the department cannot take a vacation, may carry over that vacation into the following calendar year, subject to prior written approval of the department head. An employee who cannot take vacation because of his or her own medical condition may carry over that vacation into the first three months of the following calendar year.” 

Is that management’s idea of giving us the ability to carry over unused vacation? 

Then there was the following provision:

             “An employee who agrees to change a scheduled vacation at the written request of the Publisher may elect to reschedule such vacation during the calendar year by written agreement with the Publisher. At the end of the calendar year, upon the employee’s written request, he/she shall receive pay for such unused vacation, unless the employee elects to carry over vacation for scheduling during the next calendar year by written agreement with the Publisher.”

              Is that management’s idea of giving us the ability to cash out unused vacation?

            We told the company nothing doing. We want the ability to carry over unused vacation no strings attached. Not only if you have five weeks of vacation or if you can’t take it because of S&P’s business needs.

           And we want the ability to cash out unused vacation no strings attached. Not only if you change your vacation at the written request of the Publisher.

          And, we told the company we thought we had an agreement to that concept.

 . . . And Back Some More.

            Then there’s the matter of converting from the June-to-May vacation schedule to the calendar year. We currently accrue vacation in one year to be taken the next. The company’s plan is for all that to end on June 1, 2001. On that date, there’s an instant accrual. Suddenly, all the employees on staff at that time will be entitled to 19/12s of their vacation entitlement to be used through December 31, 2002.

            The only problem is, what happens to the vacation time employees had accrued between June 1, 2000, and May 31, 2001 – the two, three or four weeks that have been earned over those 12 months.

             Poof!

            That time is gone!

            The next negotiating session is Friday at 55 Water Street.

            In addition to Townsend, the Negotiating Committee consists of Unit Chairperson Ed Fannon, Leo Larkin of the Analytical Department, Marilyn Bissell of Cash Systems, Brian McGuire of Facilities and Services Management, Peter Burke of Ratings Information Services, John Matis of Data Operations, Dorothy Madison of Subscriber Services – Circulation Fulfillment and Caheim Murray of Mail Services.

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