AFL-CIO Guild Unit

About Your Contract

The AFL-CIO Newspaper Guild unit collective bargaining agreement was ratified Nov. 7, 2011. The contract term is Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2015

The following were among the achievements of the latest round of bargaining with federation management:

Wages: A 7 percent raise is spread over four years: a 2.25 percent increase went into effect in 2011. Scheduled increases under the CBA are 2 percent in 2012, 1.75 percent in 2013, and 1 percent in 2014.

Scheduling: New flexiblity will make the scheduling of days off easier for field staff on extended assignments; and a pilot telework program will allow headquarters staff to work from home one day per week under certain conditions.

Per diem/receipts filing: Guild members have an option to take a small per diem – a flat $28 per day regardless of the location – instead of collecting and filing receipts of up to $52 per day.

PFTs: One big element in the contract will help govern an expansion of Project-Fund-Temporary workers in our unit. To give management more flexibility to carry out the new year-round political programs, a win from the last contract was conceded, in that new PFT jobs will be allowed to extend to three years (from two years) before those jobs become permanent. However, safeguards in the new agreement were won that will help grow the permanent Guild-covered workforce:
  • PFT ratio: The number of PFTs cannot be more than 40 percent of the total number of members in the AFL-CIO Guild unit; in the headquarters, that percentage cannot exceed 25 percent (at least a 3:1 ratio of permanent staff to PFTs).
  • Temporary jobs: To guard against the erosion of the permanent workforce, a clause was bargained that requires temporary positions to become permanent jobs if they are re-posted repeatedly within a defined time period.
  • Sunset provision: All the language regarding PFTs will sunset at the end of the contract period.

 

An Overview of the AFL-CIO Guild Unit Structure

The following is an overview of the AFL-CIO Guild Unit structure adopted by the membership at the Annual Meeting:

1) ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: There will be a yearly Annual Meeting of the AFL-CIO Guild Unit held concurrently with the Field Mobilization Retreat. This will be the official meeting of the AFL-CIO Guild Unit and is empowered to change the Unit structure and enact any and all policies.

2) SUBUNIT MEETINGS: Subunits of the Guild Unit would meet regularly between the Annual Meeting. At a minimum the following would be constituted as AFL-CIO Guild subunits: Headquarters, Midwest Region, Northeast Region, Southern Region, Western Region, At-Large Field and Organizing Field. Other subunits can be designated as required. Subunits are empowered to elect representatives, plan and implement subunit activities and make policy recommendations to the Executive Committee.

3) THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: An Executive Committee comprised of the officers, 5 stewards from the Field, 5 stewards from Headquarters and 1 steward from Organizing Field would meet 4 times per year. The Executive Committee would decide business for the AFL-CIO Guild Unit between Annual Meetings and act on issues submitted to it from the Subunits. Field and Headquarters Staff will be paid travel costs to attend meetings of the Executive Committee.

4) ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Elections of officers, shop stewards and executive committee members will be held each January in compliance with the by-laws of TNG/CWA Local 35.