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September 24, 2008
Members Approve Contract Proposals No H.R. Offer to Guild’s Request for Date to Start Talks
Members of the Scholastic Unit of the Newspaper Guild of New York turned out in force on August 22 to listen to Unit Chair Kathy Wilmore and the rest of the Bargaining Committee present contract proposals for negotiations aimed at reaching agreement on a new contract. The proposals were based largely on the results of a membership survey that asked for members’ opinions on issues concerning their jobs.
The rest of the Bargaining Committee members are Winnie Whipple, vice chair, Bob Hugel, secretary, Audra Wallace, treasurer, and Local Representative John Phillips.
The vote was 29-0 with two members abstaining in the meeting that sparked discussions about the proposals and life at Scholastic. Some members expressed concerns about their work environments, including increasing workloads, confusion over job classifications and bafflement at management’s criteria for merit pay.
Phillips notified Human Resources Vice President Cindy Augustine on August 25 of the ratification of the proposals, saying we were ready to begin talks. Augustine said it was “an incredibly busy time” at Scholastic and that management likely would not be ready to begin talks until late September or early October. To date, Augustine has not offered a date for the talks to begin.
When negotiations do begin, both sides will present their proposals simultaneously in an attempt to limit the chance for either side to tailor demands based on the other side’s proposals. With that in mind, we will only briefly describe our proposals in this shop paper.
Proposals Outlined
The Guild typically discusses wages later in negotiations to limit the risk of other important issues being relegated to secondary status, as management might tend to focus only on wages. We plan to propose fair increases in wages and benefits, especially in light of the rising cost of living.
Other issues we expect to address in negotiations include better communications between management and members. Merit wages are an example. We think, as do members, that it is only logical that managers should look members in the eye and tell them if they have been recommended for merit raises and give them reasons for not receiving merits. If merit increases are to reward exceptional work, then only if someone knows the criteria for merit increases can they do the kind of work management rewards.
As we all likely know, seniority is a basic tent of unionism, but at Scholastic seniority is defined very narrowly which makes those who have earned the right to a certain degree of employment security uneasy about their jobs in case of reductions. We believe that bolstering the effectiveness of seniority will allow Guild members to concentrate more fully on their jobs, knowing exactly their level of job security without constantly looking over their shoulders. That can only help Scholastic, too.
In response to questions from members, we note that negotiations are open and we encourage members to attend, when you are able. We will advise when a date for the beginning of talks is set.
Buyout Offers Coming
Management’s outside lawyer presented a buyout package to the Guild for members, who are at least 50 years old with at least 10 years of employment at Scholastic. Among other items, the severance offers three weeks of pay for each year of service. The package is similar to one recently offered to non-union employees, according to the lawyer, Neil Abramson, a spokesperson for the company.
In an unusual move, the company has neither revealed the number of jobs it wants to cut nor given an end date of employment, making it very difficult to decide whether to accept the offer. Companies usually have a number in mind and if there are not enough volunteers, the company seeks cuts through layoffs. But when asked by the Guild, Abramson, said there is “no set plan at the moment” for the number of job cuts.
Asked more pointedly if the buyout offer is a prelude to layoffs, Abramson said he couldn’t predict, but “keep in mind if the economic situation doesn’t improve at some point down the road you can see something else.”
The Newspaper Guild has registered our concerns with Abramson. We will report back when he responds to us after he relays our questions and concerns to the company.
In Unity
Your Scholastic Unit Bargaining Committee Kathy Wilmore, Chair Winnie Whipple, Vice Chair Bob Hugel, Secretary Audra Wallace, Treasurer John Phillips, Local Representative # # # # #
9/24/08 |