Bargaining halted; Journal Sentinel rethinks budget

Journal Sentinel Inc. has temporarily suspended contract talks with the Milwaukee Newspaper Guild.

Management negotiators said the economic downturn had prompted the company to ask all departments to review their 2009 budgets, and that bargaining would not resume until that review is completed. They indicated this is a companywide bargaining freeze that also affects the electricians’ union, which was preparing to open negotiations.

Since July, the Guild and the company have been discussing non-economic matters and have reached tentative agreements on many of those contract provisions. Neither side has presented a complete wage proposal yet. The company also has not presented its vacation proposal.

The Guild asked to continue bargaining on non-economic matters, but the company declined. As a result, bargaining sessions set for Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 were canceled. At our last bargaining session, Nov. 11, we discussed provisions dealing with drug and alcohol testing, columnists and union jurisdiction, but did not reach any agreements.

Bargaining Committee members will discuss the situation with Guild members at our local’s regular quarterly membership meeting, at noon Tuesday Dec. 2, on the second floor of Turner Hall. Lunch will be provided.

Election set Dec. 2 for McClain board seat

Milwaukee Newspaper Guild members will vote Dec. 2 to elect a new at-large Executive Board member to replace Dani McClain, who recently left her job as a metro reporter to join an advocacy organization in California.

The special election will be at our regular quarterly membership meeting, at noon on the second floor of Turner Hall. Lunch will be provided.

McClain was elected in September to a one-year term that started Oct. 1. She was also our human rights chair.

The board has temporarily appointed Waukesha County Bureau reporter Erin Richards to McClain’s board seat, but that appointment lasts only until the election. Richards, who lost by a single vote in September, will be on the ballot in December to fill out the remainder of McClain’s term. Nominations from the floor also will be accepted.