Overtime

Is filing for overtime a hassle? Does your supervisor make you feel guilty each time you turn in an overtime form? 

During the Sept. 19 general membership meeting, several members expressed this frustration. Labor Relations Director Ray Burnett has told us repeatedly that the company will pay overtime when a member's shift extends beyond quitting time. The company requests that the member notify a supervisor.

Overtime is being paid. During the week of the terrorist attacks,the company paid more than $14,000 in OT to Guild members. Granted,  that was an extraordinary circumstance that required extra duty on all fronts, but the bottom line is that our people are being paid when they work overtime as guaranteed by the contract.

We hear that some supervisors may be intimidating members by implying -- or in some instances apparently even saying -- that the member should work the additional time without asking for overtime. We have no record of how many members are working beyond their shifts in order to avoid a hassle with the boss. Nor do we have any way of knowing how many members routinely work through their lunch hour and give the company "a free hour."

We need your help with this overtime and lunch-hour dilemma. If supervisors are intimidating members we need to report this to management. If you've had a bad experience with overtime or with taking a lunch hour, please send us an e-mail at official1@pghguild.com and tell us about it. All responses are confidential. But we need examples of intimidation to argue our case and assure that members receive overtime when they work beyond the end of their shift and that everyone gets a lunch hour.

By the way, if you want to avoid that uncomfortable feeling of having to turn in an overtime slip to your supervisor, simply fill out an "electronic" overtime slip. This way, you don't even have to leave your desk and you can avoid a hassle with the boss. From Microsoft  Outlook, simply click on Compose, select Choose Template and double click on the icon that says overtime.oft. This automatically creates an e-mail for overtime. Then simply complete the form and e-mail it to  your supervisor. Don't forget to keep a copy for your records.

Negotiations underway

The company presented its initial contract proposal Sept. 18 to Guild negotiators. Among their proposals are: reducing our jurisdiction so more managers can write; increasing the stringer bonus percentage so more non-staffers can write; removing limitations to photo-text packages; changing the cost of benefits for employees who work less than full time; remove restrictions banning photographers from writing and writers from taking photos; eliminating geographical restrictions for stringer photographers; allowing exempt employees to have photo/text packages while on assignment.

 Separate talks are underway to address work on the Web site. The Web changes are part of the February arbitration settlement. Regarding the new contract, salary and health care will be  bargained jointly with all unions once non-economic issues are resolved with everyone.

Our next negotiating session will be Oct. 24. Remember -- stay updated by checking www.pghguild.com.

Contract violation

The company violated the contract and they've agreed to make a charitable donation as penalty. An obituary was written Sept. 21 by a manager in the sports department. The Guild grieved over an exempt employee doing bargaining unit work.

To resolve the grievance, the Company made a $61.55 donation to the CWA Disaster Relief Fund. The amount reflected the wages that would have been paid to a Guild member to research and write the obit.

Executive Committee re-elected

All members of the Executive Committee have been re-elected to one-year terms starting Nov. 1. Nominated without opposition at the annual meeting Sept. 19 were:

President -- Mike Bucsko

1st Vice President - Sally Kalson

2nd Vice President - Annie O'Neill

3rd Vice President - Liz Gray

Secretary - Ed Blazina

Treasurer - Ken Fisher

Unit Chairman - Mike Fuoco

Unit Secretary - Dave Peters

Unit Treasurer - Patt Risher

Unit Delegate - Carrie Abels

Off the Record

Here are the lucky winners for free tickets to the "Off the Record" show at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Byham Theater:

Jan Ackerman, Keightley Amen, Rosa Colucci, Jill Daly, Erv Dyer,Joe Grata, Monica Haynes, Natalie Hill, Joyce Howard, Alyson Hudson, Diane Juravich, Willa Kindle, Pat Lowry, Eve Modzelewski, Dan Rick,  Bill Schackner, Tom Sterling, Roger Stuart, Steve Urbanski, Larry Walsh, Kurt Weber, Pete Zapadka.

The names were selected in a drawing after the annual membership meeting Sept. 19.

Buy your tickets in advance at the Post-Gazette Snack Ba on Thursday, Oct. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Advance tickets also available from Gary (x1255) or Aviva (1245).

19 brothers & sisters train as Stewards

An ideal steward is someone who knows how to listen. It is not necessarily a job for a loud, outspoken, opinionated, management-hating type. A steward is someone who will communicate well with his fellow workers.

Nineteen brothers and sisters have readily answered the call to serve as Guild Stewards, the first line of assistance and communication between the members and the Executive Board.

TNG/CWA Rep Bruce Nelson, aka The Big Guy, came from Philly to conduct two two-hour know-your-contract sessions at our new Guild Office  overlooking beautiful Stanwix Street.

Bruce's goal was to demystify the contract so stewards can man the front line for fellow members' queries. As we enter contract negotiations, the Exec negotiating team will be up to its eyeballs, and stewards will help shoulder the burden in the newsroom.

As we heard at the last Guild membership meeting, city side folks have been brow-beaten by editors to keep them from turning in overtime.

With 19 additional pairs of eyes and ears, just maybe management will be less likely to get away with it.