By: (AP) The Associated Press and the News Media Guild reached tentative agreement Monday on a new three-year labor contract covering about 1,700 editorial employees of the news service, ending nearly nine months of negotiations.
Union negotiators said they would recommend approval of the contract, which provides for wage and benefit improvements, including the addition of domestic partner coverage in the health insurance plan.
The agreement calls for wage increases that would raise salaries for top-scale newspeople over the life of the contract by $91.50 weekly to $1,070: $26.50 in the first year, $30 in the second year, and $35 in the final year. The second- and third-year increases would be effective on Dec. 1, 2003, and Dec. 1, 2004.
Under the contract, the AP also would increase its contributions to employee 401(k) retirement savings plans, offer enhanced vision care and orthodontic benefits, and limit the amount by which employee health insurance contributions could rise during each of the first two years.
The contract, which replaces one that expired last Nov. 30, is subject to ratification by the union members.
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association commended AP for adopting same-sex domestic partner benefits. In a statement, NLGJA President Steven Petrow said: "Earlier this year, we launched a new initiative to bring DP benefits to the last large media holdouts: AP, NBC, and MediaNews Group. With AP's decision, NLGJA will now focus more intently on the last two major news organizations."
NLGJA reports that at least 75 major media companies and unions now offer these benefits.
The News Media Guild's report on the contract may be read at
http://www.newsmediaguild.org/newsroom/negotiation_bulletins/overallta.cfm.
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