Albany 'Times Union' Guild Rejects New Contract

By: Joe Strupp A week after Newspaper Guild members at The Boston Globe rejected a new cost-cutting agreement, newsroom workers at The Times Union in Albany, N.Y. have voted down a proposal that would have allowed more outsourcing and diminished seniority for layoffs.

A guild announcement stated Monday that guild members overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by a vote of 125 to 35.

"Had the membership approved the company's proposal, we would have respected their decision and been bound by it," Albany Newspaper Guild President Tim O'Brien said in a statement. "The publisher sought this vote, told members how important it was to him that they vote and he needs to respect their decision. Our members were quite clear on what they found unacceptable in the company's offer and they have been telling us what changes would make it acceptable. We intend to seek new bargaining dates and to go forward with a renewed spirit of flexibility."

At issue is the Times Union's decision in April to cancel its contract with the guild unit that represents about 240 of the newspaper's 450 employees. The move followed nine months of negotiations that failed to produce a new labor contract.

Publisher George R. Hearst III said in a statement in April that the cancellation followed proper notice, and came "after making every effort to reach an agreement at the bargaining table." He could not be immediately reached on Monday.

Late in April, the newspaper proposed a new contract that included two controversial elements. One was a change in layoff policy that disregards seniority, while the other allowed the newspaper to outsource any guild jobs.

The proposed contract, which was voted down Monday, included a $500 bonus for 2009 and another $500 bonus in 2010, O'Brien said.

The guild had also launched a major boycott of the paper and an advertising campaign urging readers to cancel subscriptions. The former move began in early May when the guild began running ads urging a boycott in three local papers: The Legislative Gazette, which covers the state government; The Spotlight Newspapers, a group of weeklies; and the alternative Metroland weekly.

A Web site, www.cancelthetu.com, also was launched. It provided images of different ads urging boycotts of the paper that are similar to those running on an electronic billboard in the Albany area.

But O'Brien said in a statement Monday that the boycott effort would be halted: "As a sign of our good faith, the Guild is suspending its advertising campaign so that we can go forward with a new spirit of collaboration. We look forward to returning to the table, and we believe the parties can and should come together in a compromise that will reflect both the perilous nature of our times as well as the need to continue to produce a quality newspaper staffed by local employees."