Journal Sentinel Inc. negotiators have withdrawn a contract proposal to schedule reporters or photographers to be “on call.”
As originally submitted, the plan would have allowed the company to pay some staffers a $40 premium to be available for 12 hours on weekends or holidays, without being in the newsroom. But anyone who was called in would have been compensated in time off, not cash, for hours worked. After Guild bargainers questioned whether the comp-time-only provision would violate federal overtime laws, the management team said it had decided the idea was unworkable in light of the legal issues.
Also during bargaining Monday and Tuesday, Guild negotiators rejected a company proposal to let up to 12 interns work for academic credit instead of wages. Our members have told us they would not accept college students working for free in a newsroom that has laid off 34 of our colleagues from paying jobs.
Guild and management representatives held off-the-record discussions about potential grievances stemming from the layoffs. We are consulting with our attorney, the international Guild and the laid-off employees to determine how to proceed.
In other business, the two sides agreed to keep current contract language on discipline, and to make minor changes in several vacation provisions. Other vacation issues remain open, including Guild proposals to provide the fifth week of vacation after 15 years, rather than 20, and to restore the fifth week for employees hired after 2005, as well as a management proposal to require departing employees to repay the company for taking more vacation than they have earned under the “earn-as-you-go” system.
We also discussed contract provisions dealing with health care, sick leave, pensions, 401(k) plans and tuition reimbursement. During a previous session July 29, we discussed provisions dealing with vacation, holidays, family leave and personal days.
Meanwhile, the lineup of bargainers has changed. At its Aug. 5 meeting, our local’s Executive Board named sportswriter Tom Silverstein to the bargaining committee. Silverstein, a longtime steward, replaces editorial assistant Janine Ghelfi, who departed in the buyout. Ghelfi helped negotiate the last three contracts, in addition to serving a record 12.5 years as a steward leader and about 10 years on our board.
The next negotiating sessions are set for Sept. 2-3.