Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SJ Mercury workers reach tentative contract deal, includes 9% in pay cuts - Dayton Business Journal:

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An additional 2 perceny cut in pay would take effectin January. The Media Workera Guild represents 257 Mercury News including about 130 in editorial jobs and 127in circulation, finance and support positions. A ratificationn meeting to discuss and vote on the proposef contract is scheduled forMonday afternoon. If approved, it woulf last 18 months, expiring Nov. 30, 2010. Other concessionsx include reduced vacation accruals and the relocation ofthe Merc’ copy desk to Walnut Creek, where is based. It owns the Mercury News and 11 other dailyt papers inthe region, which include virtuallgy all of the dailg papers in the Bay Area except the and .
“Thia contract settlement represents our best efforts atprotectingy workers, jobs and quality at the Mercury the Guild’s San Francisco-based Loca l 39521 said in a “It is not something that we recommendx lightly.” Mac Tully, the Mercury News’ publisher and could not immediately be reachec for comment about the tentativwe agreement. The deal would also permit managemengt to require up to five furlough days in move remaining circulation and financ e jobs to the Bay AreaNews Group’s shared servicea center in San Ramon, consolidate advertising functions in the East Bay and San hire commission-only sales representatives to developo new business, and win some additiona subcontracting rights, according to the Guild.
The contract negotiationws have taken place during grim times fordaily newspapers. Several major papers have folder inrecent months, including the and the print version of the , and many majot metropolitan papers, including the San Francisc Chronicle, , , and face daunting financial challenges.

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