On Aug. 19 the Denver Newspaper Guild’s non-newsroom bargaining committee met with management and presented the union’s latest proposal.
The Guild withdrew proposed changes to the pension and insurance provisions, and proposed language that was agreed upon in the newsroom contract in the Exemptions and Drug and Alcohol articles. The company accepted those changes.
The union’s proposal also included a $40 increase to all scales effective Jan. 3, 2016 and a 3 percent increase to all scales effective Jan. 1, 2017. The proposed duration of the contract is through Sept. 10, 2017. Management did not respond to the wage or duration proposals.
In response to the company’s proposal to gain the right to outsource finance work, the union argued that with the streamlining of the work and the reduction of seven positions in the department, remaining employees can do the work better and cheaper than the Digital First Media shared services employees can. The union proposed to retain the work. The company rejected the union’s proposal.
The committees discussed the company’s proposal to subcontract all metro home delivery work, including management’s answers to an information request by the union after the last bargaining session. After deliberation, the union committee presented a proposal that would allow outsourcing of finance work in exchange for the company dropping its demand to outsource home delivery. The finance proposal requires that three positions remain and provides for enhanced separation pay and early separation options for those that are displaced. The company rejected the proposal and said they will send a counter offer concerning finance before the next bargaining session.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for Oct. 7.
Guild Non-Newsroom Bargaining Committee: Paulette Shrefler, Kathy Rudolph, Laurie Faliano, Sam DeLeo, Kristin Baldwin, Kelly Mortensen, Steve Wielgosz, Chris Wint, Cheryl Schmid, Theresa Burt, Richard Rosenblatt and Tony Mulligan.
