Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild
May 8, 2000
Guild members attending last week's membership meeting discussed options for moving the company from its unrealistic wage position. BNA left the table on April 27 without any movement whatsoever on its wage proposal, refusing to counter the Guild's wage movement, and advising the Guild to accept a wage package whose chief weaknesses include a paltry 1.5% increase for employees in the steps and only a 2% increase for red-circled employees in year 2. BNA chief negotiator Neal Barkus sympathized with what he termed the Guild's "political" problem, claiming we'd set our wage sights too high. Barkus unwisely chose to ignore the vote by over 100 Guild members that same day against BNA's paltry wage package. The Guild's real "political" problem would have come if the bargaining committee had agreed to BNA's sad offer.
No bargaining sessions were scheduled at that time.
Last week's membership meeting participants made decisions to reach out to shareholders, retirees, and the board, as well as to call in a federal mediator. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) assists labor and management in resolving disputes. Its recommendations are non-binding, but many negotiating logjams have been broken and disputes resolved through use of this process. BNA has long supported the FMCS through co-sponsorship of educational events, and through its own "Alternative Dispute Resolution" program for managers.
BNA's attitude at the table reflects a continued downturn in the labor-management relationship, once a truly positive part of the BNA environment. The Guild and BNA together negotiated contracts over the past 50 years which brought ever-improving working conditions, wages, and benefits--some truly progressive for their time. But BNA acts as if management alone bestowed these progressive benefits on employees. BNA currently touts fully paid health insurance, but chooses to ignore the fact that BNA fought hard for employee premiums as recently as 1997. BNA did not propose paid parental leave in this round, and fought it off until just a few sessions back. BNA, mention the role the Guild has played in the next radio ad.
Rather than work in good faith with its partner of 50 years, BNA barks out directives to the Guild to stop using the email system--a clear violation of past practice and discrimination against the employees' chosen bargaining representative. The email system includes all sorts of non-business sales and marketing to employees--from the Ritz Health Club to NCAA betting pools--but BNA won't put up with the union communicating to its members on those minor things called wages and working conditions. BNA must not be reading NLRB decisions. An Unfair Labor Practice charge is pending.
BNA refuses to provide information requested by the Guild, to which the Guild is entitled under law and which is necessary for grievance investigations and employee due process. BNA must not be reading the DLR or its popular Grievance Guide. Unfair Labor Practice charges are pending.
BNA seems more comfortable spending money on pricey, outside attorneys than preventing disputes by following the contract and labor law, and communicating with the Guild.
BNA is a good company. It could be a great company, a model workplace. But its current lack of concern for the work force will assure that it can't make that leap.
Workers at the Baltimore Sun captured all three of the grand prizes in this year's Front Page Awards judging, sponsored by the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, Local 32035 of the Communications Workers of America.
In separate judging, a subcommittee of Local 32035 Executive Council members for the annual Guild Service Awards named Gwendolyn Holmes of the Bureau of National Affairs the winner of the Nadine Grinder Memorial Award for Guild Shop Steward of the Year, which carries a $150 prize. The subcommittee also named three Sun activists--Bill Salganik, Angie Kuhl and David Wright--the winners of the Dan de Souza Memorial Award for Guild Member of the Year, which carries a $250 prize to be split among the winners.
All Guild Service Award and Front Page Award honorees will be feted at a reception and ceremony to be held MONDAY, MAY 22, at the University of Maryland University College, University Blvd. at Adelphi Rd. in College Park. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the ceremony is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. Please call Reza Namdar, ext. 4105, if you can attend this ceremony. We would like to get a count of members going so that enough food and drinks can be ordered.
Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild
Local 32035 The Newspaper Guild
Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO