The latest bargaining update is out, and the results are cautiously optimistic. Despite their adamant declarations, the company has finally shown signs of wiggle room on their outsourcing proposal. Although the demands themselves haven't changed, the company proposal now includes additional benefits for employees laid off as a result of outsourcing. The benefits include additional severance pay, extended medical coverage, and tuition reimbursement.
According to the negotiating team, MediaNews believes that the language isn't even necessary if they choose to begin outsourcing newsroom jobs. The only reason they want it, said negotiator Jim Janiga, is to eliminate the Guild's ability to fight back.
Mention was also made of our ongoing efforts to educate the community and build a coalition of civic and political groups opposed to the loss of quality local journalism, saying the campaign "exacerbates the problem" for the company.
Although it's not much, the company's willingness to revisit their outsourcing proposal can only be a taken as a positive development. Clearly, more needs to be done, and the Guild is developing plans for the next round of community actions. We'll post details as soon as they're available. If you can spare an hour or two, once or twice a month, it would certainly bolster our efforts. Contact us at lbguild9400@gmail.com for more information.
Friday, August 29, 2008
8/28 bargaining update
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7 comments:
Why are the bargaining sessions so fractured apart? Can't you do a marathon back to back sessions? Thats how the Teamsters do it.
That's a good question. The bargaining team just had a meeting to discuss that a few weeks ago.
They've moved up the pace of the sessions, although it's still only approximately once a week. Everyone wants to resolve this as quickly as possible, but scheduling can be difficult.
Jim Janiga, the MediaNews negotiator, is also handling the NorCal contract (plus god knows what else) so getting face time isn't always easy.
my uncle was a teamster, and when we were playing golf at the country club recently we began talking about the bargaining problems at the newspaper in long beach. he said marathons help but they can brutal on the system. but it's a good thing for the workers who want a fair contract.
are you guys on strike? i was driving through belmont shore on labor day on 2nd st., and it seemed like a protest or something. when did the strike begin, and what can i do to help?
--confused and crusty
my uncle was a teamster, and when we were playing golf at the country club recently we began talking about the bargaining problems at the newspaper in long beach. he said marathons help but they can brutal on the system. but it's a good thing for the workers who want a fair contract.
We certainly didn't want things to go this long, but obviously a fair contract has to be the bigger picture. It's been tough on our members, but everyone understands what's at stake.
Thanks for the comment!
are you guys on strike? i was driving through belmont shore on labor day on 2nd st., and it seemed like a protest or something. when did the strike begin, and what can i do to help?
--confused and crusty
Not a strike, just part of our information campaign to spread awareness in the community about what's happening to their local newspaper.
You definitely can help! Send us an email at lbguild9400@gmail.com to get email updates and information on upcoming events.
You can also visit us at www.cwa9400.com for information on our subscription pledge,
"I won't buy it!"
This issue is bigger than just worker's rights or contract negotiations, because it impacts more than just the journalists at the Press-Telegram. When local news isn't reported, everyone in the community suffers. We've heard from a lot of people who are worried about the loss of local coverage and news that affects their day-to-day lives. If you're willing to help, we'd love to hear from you!
The "pledge" sounds like a load of bullsh*t
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