Radio Free Asia Guild Unit -- Nov. 15, 2004 Bulletin

Nov. 15, 2004

BARGAINING BULLETIN #30

Guild Offers Modified Economic Proposals In RFA Contract Talks

The Guild presented a new economic package to RFA management Monday as bargaining of wages, pension and severance continued.

In wages, we modified our proposal to increase the amount of time it takes to move from one grade to the next from 12 months to 24 months. We maintained our demand for automatic step increases within the grade (RFA proposes step increase based on evaluations and no progression through the grades); a continuation of the January COLA based on the government increase; consolidation of the Broadcaster and Administrative Assistant job categories; and the addition of steps 9 and 10 to the current eight-step wage grid.

RFA management said they would have a new wage proposal for us at the next negotiating session, November 22.

In the area of severance, we dropped our proposal for three weeks severance for each year of service. Instead, we said we would adopt the government formula of one-week's pay for each year up to ten years, two-weeks for years over ten and a complicated formula that adds money for discharged employees based on age.

RFA management stuck to its guarantee of one week, but said it would follow the BBG severance guidelines which are identical to the federal government severance plan.

The two sides moved closer on the pension. We had proposed a 12-percent automatic company contribution to the 401(k) regardless of the employee contribution. On Monday we changed that so all employees would get a 10.5 percent company contribution and those contributing at least four percent would get 12 percent.

Under RFA management's latest proposal, all employees would get a 4.5 percent company contribution; those contributing one percent would get 5.5 percent; those contributing two percent would get 6.5 percent and those contributing three percent would get 10.5 percent.

Radio Free Asia Guild Unit -- News