Training deal sets path to future

Negotiators for the Milwaukee Newspaper Guild and Journal Sentinel Inc. reached tentative agreement this week on new contract language that recognizes the importance of continued staff training as the nature of our jobs change with changing technology in an evolving newspaper industry.

Under the contract provision, the company would be required to give the Guild reasonable notice of any changes in equipment, computer programs or processes that would substantially alter or add to employees' job responsibilities. The Guild and management would then discuss those changes, including the need for staff training. All training would be done on company time and at company expense, including transportation.

The language acknowledges that because not all employees need to be trained at the same time or in the same manner on every new equipment or process, newsroom managers would have to inform individual staffers of what training they are expected to have in order to do their jobs. The company would have to provide sufficient training to allow employees to meet those expectations and perform their jobs properly. Employees could volunteer for additional training beyond the requirements of their jobs, but that would be subject to approval by management.

In addition, the provision states that it is generally the company's intention that employees who take on duties requiring entirely different skills, such as reporters shooting video or still photography, should continue to do so voluntarily, as they do now. But management would reserve the right to assign those duties. Job performance would have to be judged primarily on the basis of an employee's core skills, such as writing and reporting for reporters. But employees would be expected to participate in required training and make a good-faith effort to perform new duties assigned.

Responding to the concerns of members, Guild negotiators also had sought to make training available to all interested staffers and to ensure that the company did not penalize employees who failed to catch on to new technology and equipment that wasn’t part of their original job descriptions. Management negotiators did not accept those proposals.

The tentative agreement would expand on current contract language, which provides notice of new technology and calls for any training to be done on company time and at company expense.

During negotiations Wednesday and Thursday, we also discussed contract provisions dealing with drug and alcohol testing, columnists, union jurisdiction and union membership. The next bargaining session is set for Nov. 11.