Guild reaches tentative contract deal with Journal Sentinel

Negotiators for the Milwaukee Newspaper Guild and Journal Sentinel Inc. reached tentative agreement Thursday on a new contract that would last through 2011.

Reflecting our membership’s priorities, the deal would keep our current two weeks of severance pay per year of service in layoffs; require the company to offer buyouts before layoffs; call for the eventual rollback of our 6.6% wage cut to be distributed equally across-the-board; avoid cuts in differentials; and maintain the current cap on health care premiums. At the same time, the agreement would reduce the role of seniority in determining who is laid off and would increase the company’s control over our benefits.

Against the backdrop of the worst economy in which we have ever bargained, and in comparison to the settlements being reached by other Guild locals nationwide, our bargaining committee considers this the best deal we could reach. Committee members will discuss the tentative agreement at our previously scheduled membership meeting at noon Tuesday at Turner Hall. All dues-paying members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Lunch will be served. We will not be taking a ratification vote at this meeting; that will be scheduled later.

Here are the key details of the three-year agreement, which would run from Jan. 1, 2009 (retroactively), to Dec. 31, 2011:

Job security: No change in the two-weeks-per-year severance pay or the required 60-day notice for layoffs. At least two weeks before issuing that notice, the company would be required to announce a layoff target and offer a buyout on terms at least as favorable as the contractually required severance; each person accepted for the buyout would reduce by one the number to be laid off. Instead of the current requirement to lay people off primarily in order of reverse seniority, with some exceptions, the company would base layoff decisions on a combination of factors — such as skills and diversity — but seniority would be the deciding factor if everything else is equal.

Wages: If wage cuts are partly rolled back for any other group of Journal Sentinel employees, we would get a proportional wage restoration across the board. No change in wage structure, differentials, overtime, turnaround or mileage reimbursement.

Benefits: Our health care, sick leave, pensions, 401(k)s and tuition reimbursement would all be the same as what the company offers its other employees, with no contractual prohibition against changing or even eliminating benefits. However, the company’s share of health care premiums could not drop below the current minimum: 65% of the cost of the benchmark plan for a family that does not qualify for the non-smoking discount, with higher company shares for everyone else.

Time off: We would get five personal days this year; the company would decide whether we get any personal days next year. No changes in vacations, holidays, family leave, funeral leave or jury duty leave.

The Bargaining Committee has voted unanimously to recommend the membership ratify this contract. The Executive Board and the international Guild will also review the deal prior to a membership vote.