September 8, 2003

Guild General Meeting to Discuss Contract Extension

To be held Thursday, September 11, at 2 p.m. in room 3352

The Newspaper Guild at Time Inc. will hold a general membership meeting in the Money magazine 33rd floor conference room on Thursday, September 11, 2003, at 2 p.m.  New York Guild President Barry Lipton, Secretary-Treasurer Bill O'Meara, Time Inc. Unit Chairperson John Shostrom, and other Guild officers and activists will be there to hear your comments and answer your questions.

The meeting is open to all members in good standing.  If you are not currently a member but wish to join, membership forms will be available at the meeting.  We hope that those of you who have been thinking of signing up will do so at the meeting.  The larger the Guild's membership, the stronger we are in the negotiations.

As with the last Contract extension, which was ratified unanimously on February 1, 2001, this would be essentially the same contract, but with changes in the wage provisions: yearly raises, and raises in the minimums for each group.  On September 4, Guild officers from both the New York Guild and Time Inc. met with management, and both sides agreed to keep the scope of the negotiations restricted to wages.

Management suggested a three-year Contract extension; the Guild was non-committal on the length of the Contract.

It is the Guild's goal to end the merit pool system, in which all or some of the raises are at management's discretion rather than guaranteed.  The Guild will be proposing an all- guaranteed raise and an end to the merit pool system.  Under this proposal, you would, still be able to get an individual merit increase--on top of a guaranteed annual raise.

The Guild hopes for a large turnout in room 3352 on Thursday.  See you there!

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09/08/03