Boston Globe, guild reach deal

[meegbear]

Source: Boston.com

The Boston Globe's largest union reached a tentative deal with the New York Times Co. shortly after 3 a.m. this morning, agreeing to a substantial pay cut, unpaid furloughs, and modifications to the lifetime job guarantee provisions that protect almost 200 employees in the Boston Newspaper Guild, according to sources familiar with the deal.

With the agreement, the guild, representing more than 600 editorial, advertising, and business office employees, became the last of the newspaper's major unions to agree to concessions with the Times Co. The Globe's parent company now has the $20 million in concessions that it demanded a month ago. And perhaps more importantly, the Times Co. succeeded in changing the job guarantee language, which was widely considered a roadblock to any potential sale of New England's largest newspaper.

It was a complex deal, a source with knowledge of the agreement said, with cuts across the board in various compensation and benefits categories. But further details about the changes to job security language and the proposed wage cuts were not available early this morning.

Standing before reporters after more than 10 hours in negotiations early this morning, guild president Daniel Totten chose to disclose very little.

"These negotiations have concluded and we have a proposal to bring before the members of the Boston Newspaper Guild," Totten said. "Out of respect to our members, we will not disclose any details until we meet with membership."

Read more: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/06/globe_and_guild_talk_into_the_night/

---

Great news! :thumbsup:

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Thank goodness. I can't imagine not having my Globe every morning.

This is good news.

[JayMusgrove]

2. Well, I hope we have the Boston Globe around for a lot longer

but I still am crossing my fingers that this will happen.