McClatchy and Guild working on money, metrics and marijuana
Bulletins , Local news

McClatchy and Guild working on money, metrics and marijuana

Pacific Media Workers Guild 0 comment

Bargaining continued in late January, early February at all four McClatchy California units (The Modesto Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Sacramento Bee and News Desk West). Full contracts are up at Modesto, Fresno and News Desk West while Sacramento has a reopener. The guild and company were able to narrow bargaining to a few core issues during each of the sessions. They include the new metrics for page view goals, seniority language in the case of layoffs, minimum salary levels and merit pay scales, equipment reimbursement, and drug policy.

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Campaign escalates as DFM cuts staff
Bulletins , Local news , National news

Campaign escalates as DFM cuts staff

Pacific Media Workers Guild 0 comment

Negotiations for a 2018 wage re-opener covering 13 bargaining units will open soon as Digital First Media ordered a new wave of staff cuts throughout California and in suburban Philadelphia in January. In response, DFM workers are escalating their contract campaign against Alden Global Capital, the New York hedge fund that owns DFM and that has been systematically stripping newspaper assets since 2012.

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Honolulu talks hinge on economics
Bulletins , Local news

Honolulu talks hinge on economics

Pacific Media Workers Guild 0 comment

Guild and management negotiators significantly narrowed the issues blocking agreement on a new labor contract during two days of talks in Honolulu. Our committee managed to elicit a package proposal from the company that would drop many of the onerous proposals it made last year, such as reducing holidays and sick leave, absurd absenteeism terms, restrictions on shop stewards and a weaker grievance procedure. But the company still demands the right to conduct random drug testing.

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Chronicle shopnotes – alien-based news
Chronicle Shopnotes , Opinion

Chronicle shopnotes – alien-based news

Pacific Media Workers Guild 0 comment

Welcome to new hires Lynda Black, an online coordinator who likes making margaritas; Zack Sicking, an online coordinator who likes playing disc golf; and web developer Alicia Pearse, who says she is “drawn to alien-based conspiracy theories.”  It was not clear whether Alicia will be investigating the not-disproven theory that Chronicle editors are alien-based.

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Pacific Media Workers protests anti-union firings at Mexico’s most progressive newspaper
National news

Pacific Media Workers protests anti-union firings at Mexico’s most progressive newspaper

Pacific Media Workers Guild 0 comment

Guild executive officer Carl Hall has written to the management of Mexico City daily, La Jornada, protesting firings and union busting. After a short strike last June, the paper’s director, Tania Paulina Olmos, fired the leaders of its union. As of the date of the letter, nine officers and activists have been terminated, and they accuse Olmos of tearing up their union contract.

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Hearst relents at 11th hour, settling NLRB complaint with Guild
Bulletins , Pay Equity Campaign

Hearst relents at 11th hour, settling NLRB complaint with Guild

Pacific Media Workers Guild 1 comment

After a year of stonewalling, Hearst Corp. finally agreed at the outset of a hearing before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Tuesday to provide the Guild access to documents needed to investigate a suspected pattern of discriminatory pay practices skewed against women, people of color and older workers. The Chronicle is one of many newspapers where employees suspect inequities in compensation.

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