April Chronicle Shop Notes

April Chronicle Shop Notes

Send gossip, titillating trivia and scandal to: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Who says an ergonomics workshop is ho-hum?  Not us.  In fact, it’s practically X-rated.  Consider these words of advice from the Chronicle’s amazing ergonomist, Anna Brock: “Some employees really want to be on top (of the desk)” and “You really have to wedge your butt into the […]

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Press Democrat seeks concessions while Guild holds out for modest pay increases

Press Democrat seeks concessions while Guild holds out for modest pay increases

Press Democrat management continues to cite uncertainty in the news industry, rising health care costs and other factors as limits on what it can offer employees. Guild negotiators, also cognizant of these realities, sought reasonable pay increases in the 3 to 5 percent range and to limit increases in escalating health care costs for employees. But management balked at the offer.

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Talks to combine East Bay and Merc units suspended until company offers pay increase

Talks to combine East Bay and Merc units suspended until company offers pay increase

Guild members and staff met for a third time with DFM management today to discuss the company’s proposal to merge the BANG and Mercury News contracts. We opted to suspend these talks and return to bargaining each contract separately. Once again, the Company had no pay proposal for workers who would be covered by the merged contract, and the Company also continued to propose that advertising employees would lose union protection.

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Tentative agreement reached at Sac Bee, McClatchy Editorial Production Center

Tentative agreement reached at Sac Bee, McClatchy Editorial Production Center

Guild and McClatchy negotiators emerged from day-long discussions Tuesday, Dec. 15 with a tentative agreement on a new 3-year contract that boosts advertising commissions, offers modest newsroom pays raises, preserves the newsroom morning shift bonus and ensures company car fleet for the life of the agreement. After two gentle bargaining sessions, the room was decidedly tenser Tuesday afternoon with both sides at odds […]

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