By: The Associated Press and the News Media Guild reached tentative agreement Saturday on a new two-year contract that gives employees a 2 percent raise and spells out an orderly process for making job cuts should the company need to impose layoffs.
Subject to ratification by the union membership, the pay raise would be effective March 2, bringing the minimum weekly salary for an experienced newsperson to $1,193.40; the minimum weekly salary for an experienced technician would go to $946.04. In addition, employees would receive a lump sum payment of $500, less standard payroll withholding, at the start of the contract's second year. This payment, pro-rated for part-time employees, would not become part of base salary.
With the economy in a severe recession and assessments paid by many newspaper members being reduced, the AP and the union agreed on new contract language that would seek to minimize the disruption accompanying any reduction-in-force. The company agreed to seek volunteers, should it determine that was operationally feasible. If further reductions were needed, the agreement details a process in which seniority and skills and qualifications for available remaining positions would be paramount.
AP CEO Tom Curley told the staff last year that the company would need to reduce overall payroll costs by 10 percent in the coming year.
Kathleen Carroll, AP senior vice president and executive editor, said the proposed contract provided "a good balance of flexibility, clarity and information for all parties on the expectations and realities moving forward."
Tony Winton, president of the News Media Guild, called the agreement "a fair deal in very tough times" and said he expected the membership to ratify the contract within three to four weeks.
The NMG is a Newspaper Guild local and represents about 1,400 of AP's 3,000 journalists, as well as technicians and non-editorial staff.
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