March 15, 2007
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
THE COMPANY GIVETH
AND THE COMPANY TAKETH AWAY
One very good piece of news …
The only bright spot in two days of contract negotiations this week came on Tuesday when Time Inc. withdrew its demand to go from a 35- to a 40-hour workweek.
In folding his tent on the extended workweek, the company spokesperson, attorney Jonathan Sulds, of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, said Guild negotiators had made very convincing arguments about the impracticality of a 40-hour plan with so many employees working a three- and four-day workweek. He also said he wanted to give these negotiations “some traction.”
… but the rest of the news is very bad.
“The only thing we are asking for in return is that you double your efforts to look at our proposals on the table,” Sulds said, referring to demands that would cripple our severance packages, wipe out our sabbatical leaves, slice overtime pay, and offer no guaranteed pay increases.
In withdrawing the company’s proposal to require a 40-hour workweek, Sulds made it clear that he wasn’t backing off Time Inc.’s demand to fool around with overtime. Although individuals will continue to be scheduled for 35 hours, if they are required to work overtime management wants the first five hours to be at the straight-time rate.
Time Inc.’s scheme to pick our pockets regarding the Night Work Bonus (NWB) got much, much worse in negotiations last week. As most of us know, under the current contract, a full-time employee who’s scheduled to work after 8 p.m. or begin work at 7 a.m. or earlier, or a part-time employee who works hours extending beyond 8 p.m. or begins work at 7 a.m. or earlier, is entitled to NWB. The bonus is an additional 10% for the entire shift.
In making its initial demands, the company proposed that NWB “kick in” after 9 p.m. and that Employees receive additional compensation for only those hours worked after 9 p.m. The additional compensation, however, would have been a 50% increase in salary for those hours worked.
The Guild had a simple question: What effect would the company’s proposal have on individuals who begin work early in the morning? Instead of responding with a simple answer, Sulds yanked the company’s offer off the table and replaced it with a declaration that it would pay NWB for any hours worked after 9 p.m. and prior to 6 a.m., but that NWB would be only 10%!
The company took what has been an extremely good benefit, made an interesting, complicated offer with its initial proposal, and then crippled it with its follow-up. The new proposal slashes the value of the first offer by 80%, when all the Guild had done was to ask the company to clarify a detail unrelated to the pay element of the proposal!
The contract, originally due to expire February 1, was extended some time ago to March 22. That’s next Thursday. Bargaining sessions have been set for next Monday through Thursday in an effort to reach an agreement. The Guild hopes that every employee will make an effort to attend, even if only for a short time. We want people to see firsthand the contempt that management is showing for its employees.
Join the Guild!
Now, as never before, is the time to show your support for the Guild at the negotiating table by joining if you’re not already a member. Contact former Unit Chairperson Alex Blanco, who was victimized in the most recent round of layoffs and is now working as a Guild Local Representative, at 212-522-4187, Acting Guild Chairperson John Shostrom at 522-3965, or Guild Representative Bob Townsend at 212-730-1532.
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3/15/07