May 4, 2004

---

BARGAINING BULLETIN #13

Guild Presents Wage Proposal
Details Available at Friday Meeting

The Guild Monday told management RFA employees should have pay equal to VOA employees.

The Guild presented a detailed economic package that would immediately boost salaries and put RFA employees on their way to equal pay with VOA.

Under the Guild proposal, employees currently classified as Broadcasters I and II would immediately move up one grade each. Employees classified as Administrative Assistant I also would move up one grade. All other employees would move up one step within their grade.

The proposal builds on the current RFA pay grid by adding two steps to each grade. That also is how VOA’s pay grid works.

We also proposed that after one year in a grade, an employee who gets a satisfactory review would move up one grade.

The automatic movement up the grades means most employees would get to the VOA top level in three years or less.

Pension Plan Proposal

The Guild also proposed to increase the RFA pension contribution, and make it automatic. Currently, employees must contribute to the plan to get the RFA match. The maximum RFA pays is 10.5%

Under our proposal, RFA would pay 12% of an employee’s salary, and the employee would not have to contribute anything.

Scheduling Agreement

Agreement was reached Monday on work schedules. Under the agreement, there no longer can be split days off; schedules must be posted three weeks in advance; there can be no more than one start time in a week; and the consecutive days you can be scheduled is limited.

Sick Leave

The Guild told RFA it cannot restrict the use of sick leave for the care of family members and cannot make other changes in the sick leave policy without bargaining.

In discussions about sick leave, RFA had indicated it would clarify the written policy to make it clear that sick leave can be used to care for family members. The Guild first raised the issue in March. But in rewriting the policy, RFA imposed restrictions that had not been bargained with the Guild.

Click here for the previous issue of Radio Free Asia Guild Unit News

Click here for an index of back issues of Radio Free Asia Guild Unit News