• At The Sun, Members Choose Unity
• In Passing
• Fired Journal Newspaper Writers Win Lost Pay From Publisher
• Radio Free Asia Votes Overwhelmingly for the Guild
• BNA Correspondents Win Major Wage Boosts
• WBNG Members Win Four-Year Contract At Postal Workers Union Headquarters
• Rights@Work Resolution Passed By WNBG Executive Council
• Guild Members: Support Our Labor Family!

At The Sun, Members Choose Unity

By Lori Calderone
Local 32035 Administrative Officer

By a 317-104 vote, Baltimore Sun employees overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year agreement on June 24.

The new agreement provides a signing bonus of $1500 (an average 2.9% lump sum benefit) for each employee, and a one-year pay freeze. Year two yields an average 2.4% increase, followed by mere 1% wage increases in each of the last two years of the contract. All employees are eligible for 11 pay for performance increases of an additional 1.4% in the third year of the contract and 1.5% in the last year. Pay for performance issues are to be negotiated with the Guild. Increases in shift differentials, improvements in travel-accident insurance benefits for those who die on the job, and bereavement leave for domestic partners were also achieved. The Sun won outsourcing rights, and the right to transfer employees to other classifications within their department (with loss of pay not to exceed 3% per year). The Guild retained jurisdiction of a number of positions which The Sun had desired to strip of union coverage, and successfully fought back The Sun's effort to slash sick leave benefits. The Sun also backed off proposals to weaken union membership language, and to force the Advertising Department to bargain a separate contract.

The Tribune Company--with a profit of $443 million last year--spared no expense in its shock and awe campaign. Scabs-in-training were on site nearly from day one. An employee was fired for discussing bargaining with a client (protected activity under federal law), and management strike-prep pep rallies were held weekly. Aptly called "cutthroat" by the Orlando Weekly (which threatened to "out" any reporter scabs), Tribune did all it could to scare the heck out of workers and spent its table time with games and distractions. After calling for a federal mediator at the beginning of talks, The Sun ignored the mediator during talks, refusing his request to stop the clock, and rejecting Guild proposals to bargain past expiration. Guild members attending bargaining at all hours of the day and night couldn't miss The Tribune's distain for its employees (whom the Sun referred to as "low performance") and their union--more than 75 members observed the final hours of negotiations.

Throughout bargaining, Guild members informed the community through rallies, job actions, and letters to advertisers that the Chicago mega-giant corporation was threatening good paying jobs for Baltimore. TNG and CWA leafleted other Tribune papers, and garnered national attention. But, looking at recent labor actions in the newspaper industry--problematic strikes and workers spending months and even years without a contract--members voted to accept the deal, and to live to fight the inevitable next battle.

Lessons for the Future
The Guild's strong mobilizing and communication structure at The Sun was not enough to fend off the mega-employer. To grow stronger, Guild members should discuss and debate the myriad elements that equal strength at the table, some of which were absent in The Sun campaign (and in other recent major Guild campaigns).

Community Involvement
Before bargaining, the Guild was not a presence in the community. Not the political community, not the religious community, not the business community, and barely in the labor community. To gain community support of workers' issues, we must support the needs of the communities in which we work. The employer is a presence in the community in many ways, and so must the union and its members be a presence. In building and supporting the needs of all facets of the community, we give back, and proudly earn the support of the community as we work for good jobs and benefits, and workplace justice.

Mobilizing tactics
Member education and discussion of mobilizing strategies must begin now and be ongoing throughout the Local. Strikes, subscriber pledge campaigns, press tactics, work to rule, working without a contract, and other strategies, must be debated beginning today. The heat of a contract campaign is exactly the wrong time to be beginning discussion.

National and International Labor Support
A national labor strategy for dealing with mega-corporations, and a national message for the newspaper industry are critical. Our TNG, CWA, and AFL-CIO family must join together with Local and unit leaders to develop strategies to deal with mega corporations like Tribune on a national level and with a national message--such a corporate entity won't be reined in by 600 members at

In Passing

The Guild mourns the passing of two members in July: Former SEIU Local 500 organizer Marsha Powell, and AFA negotiator Terri Owen.

Both strong, persistent, active trade unionists, Marsha and Terri will be missed by all who knew and worked with them.

Marsha Powell
Marsha Powell passed away on Saturday, July 5, 2003, after a long illness. Marsha was an organizer for four years with the American Federation of Government Employees and most recently for Service Employees International Union, Local 500, where she was a Guild member.

Aggressively committed to worker rights and justice, Marsha fought for and inspired others, and waged her own successful struggle for justice with her last employer. Twice discharged and twice reinstated by an arbitrator, Marsha never waivered in fighting for the rights of her co-workers, herself and her family.

Educated at Northern Virgiriia Community College and at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies, Marsha is survived by her young son, Malcom.

Terri Owen
On Friday, July 11, 2003, the Guild lost a true unionist. Terri Owen, who served as a staff negotiator, elected leader and longtime activist for the Association of Flight Attendants, died tragically at age 44.

A native of South Carolina, Terri graduated from Clemson University and was one of the first AFA members to receive her Master's degree in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A flight attendant with nearly 20 years experience, Terri flew for four very Jifferent airlines -- Atlantic Southeast, Air Atlanta, Eastern and United -- giving her a strong and varied background that she drew upon in negotiations.

Terri began her union work at Eastern in 1987 as a member of the Transport Workers Union; upon joining AFA, she immediately volunteered for local committee work. Terri served two terms as a Local Council President for United, and participated on several key negotiating committees. Most recently, Terri worked as a talented and tenacious member of the AFA staff, committed to improving the wages and working conditions of AFA members.

"My favorite part about being a negotiator," she explained last year, "is being able to help improve my profession."

Terri's death is a loss to all flight attendants, to the labor movement, and to all those who had the privilege of working with her. She will truly be missed.

A memorial fund in Terri's name has been established at Clemson University. For more information, contact U.S.E./WBNG Secretary- Treasurer Annie Sanner at asanner@afanet.org.

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003
10:00 a.m.-Noon
415 St. Paul Pl., Baltimore

Agenda:

1. Take the BW Parkway (Rt.295) North to Baltimore.
2. The Parkway empties into Russell St. which turns into N. Paca.
3. Turn right onto Pratt St., then turn Left onto Calvert.
4. Go north, past the Sun building on the right.
5. Turn left onto Franklin St. (If you find a space, park here. Meters are running).
6. Turn left onto St. Paul Place. (If you find a space, park here. Meters are running).
7. 415 St. Paul Place is on left. Building signs reads Calligary and Calligary Law Firm.

The Baltimore Sun. A national message and strategy will improve organizing results, as well.

In choosing solidarity, and eating a bad contract, our members have given their local, national, and international union the time to strategize, organize, strengthen and lead. Let's use our time wisely.

Fired Journal Newspaper Writers Win Lost Pay From Publisher

Nine months afteir being fired while organizing, Journal Newspapers' Publisher Ryan Phillips agreed to settlement terms of $71,500 in lost pay and benefits to eight former Prince George's Journal and Montgomery Journal employees. Reinstatement, however, was not part of the deal.

In a pretrial settlement with WBNG, the Alexandria-based newspaper agreed to pay the fired reporters and editorial assistants 80 percent of the back pay plus interest, 401(k) contributions and health insurance reimbursements that they would have received had they remained at the newspaper since their Dec. 2 firing.

Phillips also agreed to post notices at the Journal, and to mail the same notices to current and former employees, stating that management will not interfere with employees' rights under federal law to form a union.

The notice states that Journal management "will not interrogate, discourage or coerce employees by soliciting grievances from employees; will not create the impression that employees' union activities are under surveillance; will not close and/or consolidate offices to discourage employees from organizing; will not terminate employment of employees because of their support of and activities on behalf of the Guild; will not fail to provide raises to employees because of their support of the Guild."

Fired Prince George's Journal reporter Susan Gervasi, commenting on the settlement, said, "Rather than go through months and even years of legal wrangling, we felt our interests and the union's interests were best served by the settlement we reached with the Journal. We think it sends a message to local journalists and publishers that editorial workers have the legally-protected right to organize and that the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild stands up 100 percent for workers who seek to do so."

(For the complete story of the "Fired While Organizing" Journal Campaign, and to read the organizing journalists' newsletter The Journal Voice, go to www.wbng.org/journal/journalintro.htm)

Radio Free Asia Votes Overwhelmingly for the Guild

Employees at RFA voted 77-37 in favor of representation by WBNG. The NLRB certified their overwhelming election victory about a month later, after rejecting the employer's election challenges.

There were 125 eligible voters. Votes were counted June 20. But despite the overwhelming vote, employees had to wait for a decision on the company's effort to void the vote.

That came July 16th.

The NLRB regional director certified the election after finding no evidence to support company claims that the bilingual staff did not understand the ballot and instructions because they were in English, and that the union or its supporters defaced a posted election announcement.

Support for the union has been growing. More than 80 employees signed a petition calling on RFA management to drop its challenge to the election and a total of 90 people now have signed membership cards.

Karma Zurkhang was selected as unit chair. Liu Hong, Poly Sam, and May Zaw Khin were picked as vice chairs and Lucy Lu is the unit secretary. Radio Free Asia employees are now preparing for negotiations. Local representative Paul Reilly is chief negotiator.

RFA provides news to Asia in nine different languages, broadcasting to China, North Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma. The operation is fully funded by Congress but is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency.

The organizing campaign was led by a strong inside committee, including Liu Hong, Poly Sam, Tanya Lau, Vivian Kwan, May Zaw Khin, Chang Kyun Lee and Karma Zurkhang. Eric Geist, Organizing Director of WNBG's parent organization, The Newspaper Guild-CWA, led the drive, assisted by WBNG's Calvin Zon and Paul Reilly.

BNA Correspondents Win Major Wage Boosts

Members at BNA's Correspondents' unit have approved a new contract providing annual raises ranging from 4.4% to 6.4%. The vote was 19-to3 in favor of the three-year contract. The agreement switches the pay system from a traditional step scheme to bands, similar to the system negotiated for the BNA home office. Those lower in the bands get larger raises and those at the top get smaller raises, much like in the step system.

In addition to the pay raises, BNA agreed to increase the allowance for home offices. It goes from $85 a month in the expired contract to $115 per month starting in Augus 2003; $120 in August 2004 and $125 in August 2005. The monthly transportation subsidy for those without home offices goes from $32.50 a month to $40.

The agreement also incorporates the increased co-pays for prescriptions and office visits that were earlier accepted by the home office members in their contract. Like the main office, BNA continues to pay the monthly insurance premium.

The three-year contract expires July 14, 2005. Mike Bologna and Andrew Ballard bargained the contract along with Local Representative Paul Reilly.

WBNG Members Win Four-Year Contract At Postal Workers Union Headquarters

By Keith Barnes,
APWU Guild Unit Member

Guild members at the main office of the 250,000-member American Postal Workers Union on July 14 ratified a contract that preserves fully-paid health insurance premiums and provides for wage increases of 9 to 13 percent over the next four years.

The new contract was not easily reached. Talks on the agreement that expired May 2O began in early April, and Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild negotiators found that much of the time at the table was spent listening to management proposals intended "to control the rate of acceleration in the Guild's wage structure."

Before it was all over, WBNG bargainers had to beat back "offers" to eliminate the holiday bonus; to award "anniversary" increases every other year; to have employees pay a share of the health insurance premium costs that for several Guild members would have meant net pay in 2004 less than that received this year; and to suspend bi-annual COLA adjustments, or to have continued COLA increases in combination with minimal annual wage hikes.

At one point, union management offered lump-sum payments in lieu of annual raises for the first two years.

Although Guild members ultimately agreed to pay as much as $150 more annually toward the health plan's deductible, they still will pay nothing towards the premiums. Meanwhile, the unit was able to recapture the December ("Holiday") bonus, the yearly anniversary increase, eight COLA adjustments, and salary hikes each November. Also maintained in the new agreement are a no-layoff clause and all previously negotiated paid holidays and annual and sick leave.

This is the second agreement for the APWU unit, which has 17 workers in communications, information technology, the research library, industrial relations, and accounting.

The new pact expires May 20, 2007.

Rights@Work Resolution Passed By WNBG Executive Council

Fewer than 9 percent of private-sector workers and 37 percent of public workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements in the United States. This does not have to be. In Canada it is 30 percent, in Germany 60 percent and in Great Britain 26 percent.

The preamble of the National Labor Relations Act refers to collective bargaining as a public good. A public good means that it's more expensive to have clean water than dirty water, but that as a society we have decided that it is worth the price.

There is some cost to collective bargaining, but we can't have a democracy without it. You can't have a large middle class without it. Increasingly, you can't have health care coverage or a defined pension without it.

Union-represented workers earn 26 percent more, are 50 percent more likely to have health care coverage, and 300 percent more likely to be covered by a defined pension.

Labor contracts in this country cannot be for the protection of the rich and famous only, for CEOs and sports players. Individual workers do not have the ability to negotiate labor contracts and must have collective bargaining rights to meet the power of corporations. The Supreme Court understood this in 1937 when it ruled that the National Labor Relations Act was indeed constitutional and stated in the decision:

"Long ago we stated the reason for labor organizations. We said that they were organized out of the necessities of the situation: that a single employee was helpless in dealing with an employer, that he was dependent ordinarily on his daily wage for the maintenance of himself and his family, that if the employer refused to pay him the wages he thought fair, he was nevertheless unable to leave the employ and resist arbitrary and unfair treatment; that union is essential to give laborers opportunity to deal on an equality with their employer."

-- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Evans Hughes

The collapse of collective bargaining in the United States is almost a secret in this country. It's time to bring this crisis out in the open, shed light on it and initiate a public debate on how to fix it. We must begin in our workplaces with our members.

Guild Members: Support Our Labor Family!

When WBNG needs the help of our labor family, the Washington Metropolitan and Baltimore Central Labor Councils have been there --helping with Street Heat Rallies at the Washington Post, BNA, and The Baltimore Sun, setting up fax and e-mail campaigns, tapping into political connections to support Guild contract and organizing campaigns, and more.

'Tis better to give than receive, and tis BEST to build a strong labor movement by supporting our brothers and sisters in labor when they need us.

Help Support Our Labor Family:

If you have a little time to give back to Labor, send an email indicating how you'd like to help to Local32035@wbng.org

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