Dec. 23, 2004

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TENATIVE AGREEMENT!
(FINALLY)

The Guild and RFA management Wednesday, December 22, 2004 reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract that would be retroactive to October 1, 2004.

The agreement came after nearly 15 months of bargaining, and more than a year and a-half after RFA employees voted overwhelmingly to be represented by the Guild.

Most of the details of the contract will be provided a little later, but the final agreement calls for a restructuring of the Broadcaster job classification as of October 1, 2005. Under that restructuring, the seven current Broadcaster grades will be condensed into three.

The lowest level Broadcaster will have a starting annual salary of $43,000 (compared to the current $37,148) and a top of $51,389. The middle level will start at $49,895 and top out at $59,629. The top level will start at $54,884 and end at $65,591.

Under the restructuring, no Broadcaster can be moved to a lower salary. Dozens will receive raises of 3% or more next October. Broadcasters who are currently at Grades 4 and 5 will get at least a 3% pay raise. Anyone who does not get at least at 3% pay raise will be eligible for a one-time performance based lump-sum payment of 3% of the their salary.

The October 1, 2004, step increases will be paid retroactively, and all employees will receive a 3.5% pay increase as of January 1, 2005.

This agreement must be approved by the members, and a vote will be scheduled for early January. We also will schedule a membership meeting to go over the details of the agreement prior to the vote.

This tentative agreement is the result of the strong support of the members in the language services but especially due to the hard work and dedication of the rank-and-file bargaining team: Karma Zurkhang, Liu Hong and Poly Sam.

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