Bulletins

The parties discussed wages, video remote interpreting, and early release without pay. Region 3 courts want a one-year deal with no raises, the freedom to implement video remote interpreting, and the ability to send interpreters home without pay at 3 p.m. CFI contended that interpreters have not received raises in six years.

The Guild team crunched numbers provided by Hearst and determined that the Company’s own proposal would cost it about $600,000 more per year than our current system.

My name is Autumn Grace. I am a former member of the Chronicle family and presently an employee advocate and organizer for the Pacific Media Workers Guild. I am still covered under the Chronicle health care plan and have been a Kaiser member for as long as I can remember. …

In a Valentine’s Day vote, Guild members at the Fresno Bee unanimously approved the tentative agreement on this year’s contract re-opener.

The Guild raised new cost issues concerning Hearst Corp.’s proposal.

Heather Smith has worked in the Prepress Department as a Graphic Designer for the San Francisco Chronicle for almost 13 years. In that time, the co-pay for a visit to her doctor has gone from $10 to $30 per visit. She can’t afford higher co-pays.

Guild bargainers met with Chronicle representatives Monday to resume negotiations, calling on the management to reach an agreement by the end of February that protects affordable health care.

Bargaining resumed Thursday in the East Bay after an extended break from contract talks. The Guild committee pressed for a new labor agreement that puts pay and benefits on par with the Bay Area standard for professional journalists.

Management wants the right to do two furloughs in 2013, threatening to take away raises if the workers do not approve. As the company acts to diminish workers’ earnings, Guild members are reminded to put in for their over-time pay.

Chronicle worker can’t afford higher health care costs and helping daughter in college at the same time.