By: Joe Strupp The St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press and the Minnesota Newspaper Guild have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that will include a seven-percent raise over three years and a guarantee of no layoffs until at least the end of 2008.
In a notice posted on the guild Web site, the union reported that "after three days of intensive, off-the-record talks, the Guild and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press reached agreement late Wednesday on a four-year contract covering 340 employees."
The tentative agreement, which runs through July 31, 2011, would include annual raises of 2 percent on July 1, 2008; 2 percent on July 1, 2009; and 3 percent in 2010.
"The agreement includes a pension freeze, a one-time vacation concession, and significant changes to medical insurance and disability pay," the guild stated. "It leaves intact nearly all of the language in the contract, including seniority on layoffs, the right to daily overtime and mileage reimbursement. It avoids the two-tier wage scheme the company had sought, and newsroom team leaders would remain covered by the Guild.
"Three key issues that Guild members identified as critical to the future of the Pioneer Press were addressed in the talks: 1) the company agreed to partner with the Guild to apply for a grant of up to $400,000 from the state of Minnesota to design a training program focused on multimedia skills and the paper?s digital future; 2) the company agreed to a joint committee to investigate and make recommendations to resolve issues and concerns affecting productivity in advertising; and 3) the company agreed to include content employees at TwinCities.com in the Guild," the union added.
A membership vote on the contract will be scheduled for sometime next week. The contract is the first since the paper was sold by former owners McClatchy to MediaNews Group.
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