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Download a PDF of the current contract here.
AGREEMENT Agreement
is made and entered into at Witnesseth:
In consideration of the mutual covenants set forth the Company and the Guild agree as follows: A.
During the period of this Agreement the Company
recognizes the Guild as the sole collective bargaining agency, for itself and
on behalf of all employees of the Company
in the: EDITORIAL
DEPARTMENT and
in all sub-divisions of the above mentioned departments, excluding those
employees provided for in other
existing Union Agreements. B.
Except such employees as are otherwise specifically provided for, all
the conditions and benefits contained in this Agreement shall apply to all
employees who now are or hereafter may be employed by the Company
as set forth in Paragraph “A” above. Entirely
excepted from the provisions of this Agreement are the following positions: Publishers
and Associate Publishers Excepted
from all provisions except Article XIX, Paragraph 12, of this Agreement, are
the following Positions:
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Executive Editor, Editor of the Editorial
Page, Managing Editor, Deputy Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editor, City
Editor, Sports Editor, Sunday Editor, Technology Systems Editor, Business
Editor, Night Operations Manager, Seen Editor, Associate Editor of Opinion
Pages, Editorial Cartoonist,
and Confidential Secretaries. In
no event will the number of employees excluded from the Agreement be more than
30 percent of the total of full-time equivalent
employees represented by the Guild. For
example, if there are 140 full-time equivalent Guild employees the company may
have 42 employees
excluded, provided that they qualify as management personnel. Also,
no person under Guild jurisdiction will be arbitrarily named as a manager
(excluded from the Agreement). C. The
kind of work either normally, or presently, performed within the unit covered
by this Agreement and other work assigned to be performed within said unit, or
work which replaces or displaces such work, is recognized as the jurisdiction
of the Guild, and performance of such work shall be assigned to employees
within the Guild's jurisdiction.
Exempt
employees can do bargaining unit work as performed in the past and/or similar
work that may result from the introduction of new print, electronic or other
products and as operationally necessary. Performance
of such exempt work will not displace bargaining unit employees. D. The Guild recognizes that
stringers will continue to be utilized by the Post-Gazette to fulfill its
obligation to report the news according to the following guidelines: 1. Stringers who answer phones for sports will
continue to use Company-owned equipment to input statistics, scores or other
noncreative material. 2. If
the Company deems it necessary
that stringers, with the exception of those covered under Paragraph 1 above,
must work in the office, they will be considered part-time employees covered
under Articles I, II and VI of this Agreement. 3. The amount of money
paid to stringers is based on a percentage of the annual Guild payroll.
Effective January 1, 2007, the
maximum will be 15 percent of the annual Guild payroll. If
the amount of stringer annual expenses should exceed the percentage outlined
above, the company will match this excess with a payment into the Guild
Pension Fund or other similar vehicle. This percentage may be changed by
mutual agreement to meet operational needs. 4. Community
Journalism initiatives Recognizing
the need to develop additional sources of revenue from all platforms with electronic and print products, and to expand
our Post-Gazette audience,
the Company agrees to work with the Guild in developing community journalism
initiatives, including social networks
with paid or unpaid content from contributors,
including but not limited to, independent contractors, freelance
journalists, bloggers, photographers
and videographers, as well as institutions, government agencies and community
organizations. The
company may continue to obtain content from commercial vendors, including, but
not limited to, traffic and weather reports, maps, event calendars, dining
guides, financial data and sports statistics. The company agrees to
prominently identify community-derived content as produced by independent
providers who are not employed, edited or pre-moderated by the Post-Gazette. The company agrees to
keep the Guild up-to-date on the company’s Community Journalism standards. It
is understood that such work will be under the supervision of the Post-Gazette
through bargaining unit and exempt editors and is not intended to displace
bargaining unit work. ARTICLE
I Guild
Shop 1.
The Company shall
require as a condition of employment of an employee that he be and remain a
member of the Guild in good standing no later than the 30th day following
either (1) the date of the first Guild Shop Agreement legally enforceable
under the Labor Management Relations Act, or (2) the date of hiring, whichever
is later. 2.
There shall be no discharge of or other discrimination against any
employee because of his membership or activity in the Guild.
There shall be no interference or attempt to interfere with the
operation of the Guild. 3.
If any Guild member shall lose good standing by falling one (1) month
in arrears in Guild dues including assessments, the Company
shall, upon formal notice from the Guild, discharge said employee. 4.
The Guild agrees that it will admit to membership and retain in
membership any employee qualified according to the Constitution of the
Newspaper Guild and the by-laws of the Local Guild. 5.
The Company shall
furnish the Guild president and treasurer in writing within one week of
employment or transfer into Guild jurisdiction the following information: (a)
Name, address, minority group,
sex, date of birth and Social Security number. (b)
Date of hire. (c)
Classification. (d)
Experience rating and experience anniversary date. (e)
Salary.
When the person hired or transferred is a replacement for an employee
entering the military service, the name of the person whom he is replacing is
to be furnished. 6.
Any employee who is discharged under the provisions of Section 1 and 3
shall receive no dismissal pay. 7.
Discharges under this Article shall not be subject to review by the
Board of Arbitration. ARTICLE II Checkoff 1.
Upon an employee's voluntary written assignment, the Company shall deduct weekly from
the earnings of such employee and pay to the Guild, not later than the 15th
day of each month, all membership dues including assessments levied by the
Guild for the current month. Such
membership dues including assessments shall be deducted from the employee's
earnings in accordance with a schedule furnished the Company by the Guild on the first day of each month.
An employee's voluntary written assignment shall remain in effect in
accordance with the terms of such assignment. 2.
The Company shall notify
the Guild of any changes in classification salary or step-up in years of
experience within one week of the date change becomes effective. 3.
The checkoff assignment shall be made upon the following form: ASSIGNMENT
AND AUTHORIZATION TO
CHECKOFF GUILD MEMBERSHIP DUES INCLUDING
ASSESSMENT To:
P G PUBLISHING COMPANY
and/or ASSIGNS, EMPLOYER I
hereby assign to the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, and authorize the Company to deduct from any salary earned or to be earned by me as
his employee, an amount equal to all my Guild membership dues including
assessments, as certified by the Treasurer of the Newspaper Guild of
Pittsburgh, for each calendar month following the date of this assignment. I
further authorize and request the Company
to remit the amount deducted to the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh not later
than the 15th day of that month. This
assignment and authorization shall remain in effect until revoked by me, but
shall be irrevocable for a period of one year from the date appearing below or
until termination of the collective bargaining Agreement between yourself and
the Guild, whichever occurs sooner. I
further agree and direct that this assignment and authorization shall be
continued automatically and shall be irrevocable for successive periods of one
year each or for the period of each succeeding applicable collective Agreement
between the Company and the
Guild, whichever period shall be shorter, unless written notice of its
revocation is given by me to the Company
and the Guild by registered mail not more than thirty (30) days and not less
than fifteen (15) days prior to the expiration of each period of one year, or
of each applicable collective Agreement between the Company and the Guild, whichever occurs sooner.
Such notice of revocation shall become effective for the calendar month
following the calendar month in which the Company
receives it. This
assignment and authorization supersedes all previous agreements and
authorizations heretofore given by me in relation to my Guild membership dues
including assessment. Employee's
Signature_______________________________________________________ Date_______________________________________ Indemnification
of Company. The ARTICLE
III Classifications,
Wages and Schedules of Minimums Employees
shall be paid weekly not less than the following wages in these
classifications less a wage diversion of 10% of the first $50,000 of earnings
to a maximum of $5,000 per calendar year:
Effective
1st
2nd
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Date
6 Mo.
6 Mo.
Year
Year
Year
Year
Provides
original content for print and electronic publications and products.
Effective
1st
2nd 2nd
3rd
4th
Date
6 Mo.
6 Mo.
Year
Year
Year
Edits
and produces original content for print and electronic publications, products,
and slot.
Effective
3rd
4th
5th
Date
Year
Year
Year
Assigns work to content providers and content editors/producers and edit
and produce content as necessary.
Effective
1st
2nd
3rd
Date
Year
Year
Year
Provides
newsroom, library and photo support as necessary.
Effective
1st
2nd
3rd
Date
Year
Year
Year
Provides
newsroom, library and photo support as necessary.
Effective
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Date
Year
Year
Year
Year
Provides
newsroom support as necessary
Effective
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Date
Year
Year
Year
Year
Provides
newsroom support as necessary
Performs
various newsroom assignments as necessary
Effective
1st
2nd
3rd
Date
Internship
Internship
Internship
Performs
various newsroom assignments as necessary COST
OF LIVING INCREASE The
provisions in this Cost of Living clause are suspended for the life of the
current contract. A.
In addition to the basic rates of pay specified in this Agreement, all
employees covered by this Agreement shall be paid a cost-of-living allowance
to be determined and redetermined on the basis of the Consumer Price Index,
City of Pittsburgh, Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W 1982-1984
Base), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
as follows: 1.
If for the period November 1, 2006, through April 30, 2007, the
aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then additional wages shall be paid
effective the first payroll period after May 1, 2007. 2.
If for the period November 1, 2006, through October 31, 2007, the
aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then additional wages shall be paid
effective the first payroll period after November 1, 2007. 3. If for the period November
1, 2007, through April 30, 2008, the aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then
additional wages shall be paid effective the first payroll period after May 1,
2008. 4. If for the period November
1, 2007, through October 31, 2008, the aforesaid Index rises more than 6%,
then additional wages shall be paid effective the first payroll period after
November 1, 2008. 5. If for the period November
1, 2008, through April 30, 2009, the aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then
additional wages shall be paid effective the first payroll period after May 1,
2009. 6.
If for the period November 1, 2008, through October 31, 2009, the
aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then additional wages shall be paid
effective the first payroll period after November 1, 2009. 7.
If for the period November 1, 2009, through April 30, 2010, the
aforesaid Index rises more than 6%, then additional wages shall be paid
effective the first payroll period after May 1, 2010. Notwithstanding the above, it is specifically understood that the maximum
amount of increases paid pursuant to this cost-of-living clause shall not be
more than 2% for the period November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007, nor
more than 2% for the period November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008, nor
more than 2% for the period November 1, 2009, through October 31, 2010. To determine the amount of the wage increase, the parties shall multiply
the percentage the Index exceeds 6%, but not greater than 8%, times the
weighted average base contractual wage weekly scale of all employees
represented by all craft unions and Teamsters. No adjustment, retroactive or otherwise, shall be made because of any
revision which may later be made in published figures in the Consumer Price
Index. 1.
Employees shall receive a salary increase provided in the schedule of
wage minimums or increases according to the following schedule of general
increases, whichever is greater, but not both:
2. The above wage minimums
and the general increase need not apply to salaries of those who are on
retirement or who are on extended sick leave.
The pay increases shall go into effect upon the employee's return to
work. 3.
For the life of this Agreement there is to be no reduction in
compensation of anyone covered by this Agreement except when the provisions of
Article VIII, Paragraph 3, are implemented. 4.
In the application of the foregoing schedules of minimums, experience
shall include all regular employment in comparable work.
In the event the Guild questions the job classification or experience
status of any employee within forty-five (45) days from start of employment,
adjustment, if any, will be made retroactive to the start of employment. If
such question is raised after forty-five (45) days from start of employment,
adjustment, if any, will be effective on the date that the Guild brought the
question to the attention of the Company. 5.
Copy messengers or clerks may be assigned to the duties of a reporter,
artist or photographer as a beginner for a period of six months as a
preparation for his own training as an experienced newspaperman, but if still
in college shall be paid the applicable intern rate for the duration of the
trial period. However, if his work
fails to meet the required standard or if the position is discontinued the
employee shall have his choice of dismissal pay or return to his former
duties. A copy messenger or clerk
who has graduated from college and is assigned to the duties of a reporter,
artist, photographer or copy reader shall receive the beginner salary for the
assigned classification. 6.
Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent employees from bargaining
individually for pay increases. The
minimum wage rates established herein are minimums only; individual merit
shall be acknowledged by increases above the minimums. 7.
Any new classification established by the Company
shall be subject to negotiations between the Company
and the Guild. 8.
(a) Effective January 1, 1982, an employee temporarily transferred to a
higher classification shall receive differential pay according to the
following schedule:
Copy messenger to clerk.............................................................................
minimum salary
differential
Copy messenger to reporter/editor..............................................................
minimum salary
differential
News
assistant, clerk to
reporter/editor…………………………………………..minimum
salary
differential (b)
Daily differentials will be paid to employees who are assigned to higher
classifications for greater than 50% of a shift. The differential to be paid
shall be determined by dividing the monetary difference between the
classifications by five (5) to establish a daily payment. Employees
in the copy messenger and clerk classifications may work up to 40 percent of
their time in higher classifications before receiving the weekly minimum
salaries for the higher classifications. They
will receive daily differentials. (c)
The above is not intended to change present practices in cases where an
employee substitutes in part for an employee in a department head or
comparable capacity without assuming the full responsibility.
In case of a long illness or absence of such an employee, the Company
may assign another employee as "acting" and additional compensation
shall be arranged between the employee, the Company
and the Guild in direct relation to the amount of responsibility to be assumed
by such substitute. (d)
Effective
January 1, 2003, the 9.
An employee hired above the minimum for his actual experience shall
be given an experience rating in the minimum bracket comparable with his
salary. 10.
Employees may be upgraded to the next highest experience rating with
anniversary date changed to the date of upgrading.
Merit increases above minimums shall be maintained through the
succeeding experience step-ups without change of anniversary date until the
employee is either upgraded to a higher experience rating or until the top
minimum is reached.
11.
Effective January 1, 2003, a one-time service bonus of $250 for all
employees with 10 or more years of service. Thereafter, the bonus will be paid
when an employee completes his/her 10th year of service. Effective January 1,
2004, a one-time service bonus of $500 for all employees with 20 or more years
of service. Thereafter, the bonus will be paid when an employee completes
his/her 20th year of service. As of Jan. 1, 2007, all service
bonuses will be diverted to the Guild Pension Plan for the life of the current
contract. Hours 1.
No
employee eligible for Guild membership shall work more than eight
(8) hours per day within a nine (9)
consecutive hour period, nor more than five days per week with the
following exceptions: (a)
With
the approval of the Company,
full-time employees may work a four-day work week (for a regular week’s pay)
consisting of 4 ten hour days. By
mutual agreement, full-time employees also may work a six-day week of not more
than 40 hours. The Company will notify the Guild of such an arrangement. During
holiday weeks, all full-time employees will be scheduled for a five-day week. (b)
Additionally, full-time employees
with at least two years of service shall, on a rotating basis, have the option
of working a four-day week consisting of four 10-hour days at his/her request
under the following conditions: i.
The nature of the work is such
that it can be compressed into 4 days. ii.
At least one weekend shift may be
required as part of the work week except by mutual agreement. iii.
Employees shall be granted such
assignments on a rotation according iv.
No employee shall be assigned to
work a four-day week without his/her consent. v.
The arrangement shall be limited
to two months but may be extended by mutual agreement between the company and
the employee based on availability. vi.
The arrangement shall be limited
to one per department at any one time. Exceptions must be approved by the
department head and managing editor. vii.
A lunch or dinner break may be
required as part of the work day. viii.
For holiday weeks, for the
employee’s vacation week(s), and weeks in which the employee takes single
day vacations, the employee will be scheduled for a five day week. (c)
Beat reporters who cover major sports are exempt from overtime provisions
but shall receive additional vacation in a formula mutually agreed upon by the
Company and the Guild. 2.
A regular schedule of working hours shall be maintained for all
employees. No less than three
days' notice shall be given in advance of any change in an employee's working
schedule, where possible. Schedules
of holiday work in the editorial department shall be posted two weeks in
advance of the holiday, where possible. 3.
Wherever possible, days off shall be consecutive days. 4.
It is mutually agreed that the Company
is entitled to service for the full unit of hours constituting a day's work or
night's work or week's work as prescribed in this Agreement.
5. A differential of $3 per
shift will be paid to an employee who begins his/her shift on or after 2 p.m. As
of Jan. 1, 2007, all night differentials will be diverted to the Guild Pension
Plan for the life of the current contract. This
shall apply only so long as the employee is assigned to such shifts. 6.
Time spent by employees traveling to and from assignments in the
Tri-State area shall be considered as part of the working day.
Exceptions: Trips outside the Tri-State area, sports beats and
self-initiated assignments. 7.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed so as to interfere with the
completion of assignments by employees nor the performance of emergency
assignments. 8.By
arrangement with the Company,
employees who elect to reduce their work week to fewer than 40
hours shall be considered flex-time employees.
They shall designate a period not to exceed 12 months that they will
remain in that status. A.
Upon expiration of the 12-month (or shorter) period, the employee may return
to full-time status. If the employee elects to extend his/her flex time beyond
12 months, any return to full-time status will be determined by the
availability of work. If no slots are available, (a hiring freeze implies that
no slots are available) the flex time status will continue until a mutually
agreeable job closest to his/her experience becomes available. For the first
three months of the reduced work week, the employee’s health insurance
coverage will be unchanged. After three months, the Company
will pay a portion of the health/dental/optical insurance premium based on the
number of hours worked per week. For example, if the employee works three days
a week, the Company will be
responsible for 60 percent of the premium. For purposes of security under
Article VIII, flex-timers shall be treated the same as full-time employees.
B. By seniority, flex-time employees will have the opportunity to
return to full time status whenever a two-year
associate is hired. The flex-time
employee will have only one opportunity to return to full-time status. If
he/she refuses to return to full-time status, he/she loses the right to return
under the provisions of this paragraph. ARTICLE
V Overtime 1.
Overtime shall be defined as work beyond 40 hours in the work week. Overtime
shall be worked when required by the Company,
except in case of illness, emergencies or exceptional situations. 2.
Overtime beyond 40 hours in any one week shall be paid for at time and
one-half of the regular rate of pay, except where otherwise provided for in
this Agreement. 3.
A full-time employee required to return to work after his regular
working day shall be paid for the time worked, but not less than four hours.
An employee authorized to contribute to the Post-Gazette electronically
outside his regular working day shall be compensated for actual time worked,
but not less than one hour at the employee’s current rate. 4.
An employee called to work on his day off shall be compensated at the
rate of time and one-half, but not less than a day's pay in addition to his
regular weekly salary. 5.
Overtime shall be reported in writing to the Company or his representative within ten days after the overtime is
worked. The Company shall cause a record of all overtime to be kept.
Specified overtime records shall be made available to the Guild on
request. 6. On out-of-town assignments: (a)
Overtime at time and one-half shall be paid for all work beyond 10 hours in
any one work day and beyond 40 hours in any one work week. (b)
Provided, however that prolonged out-of-town assignments shall be exempted
from these provisions. Employees covering breaking news stories will continue
to be covered by Paragraph (a). ARTICLE
VI Part-time,
Temporary Employees and Two-Year Associates
1. The total number of two-year associates, paid interns and employees
averaging less than 40 hours per week cannot exceed 35 percent of the
Guild membership.
2. Part-time employees shall assume all of the obligations of this
Agreement and shall receive its benefits on a proportionate basis unless
stated otherwise elsewhere in this contract as their respective work week
compares with a full work week of 40 hours.
It is understood that part-time employees may work full time to cover absences
due to vacation, sick leave and other leaves of absences.
3. It shall be a policy of the Company
to pay part-time employees who average individually less than 20 hours
per week not less than an hourly basis equivalent to the weekly wage minimum
for the classification of work in which they are employed. Such
part-time employees may work less than 20
hours per
week in a four-day period without exceeding 10 hours in any one day. All
benefits for these employees, unless stated otherwise elsewhere, will be
proportionate to the number of hours regularly worked during the week. 4.
Provisions of this Agreement shall not apply in the case of temporary
employees hired for a special project. The
Guild shall be notified in writing as to the nature of such project and its
duration. Temporary employees may
be hired to cover absences of other employees due to vacations, sick leaves,
leaves of absence, etc. for up to eight months¸
a period which may be extended by mutual agreement between the Company and
the Guild. These employees will be covered only by Articles I, II and
VI of this Agreement. Furthermore,
it is understood that temporary employees will not be replaced with other
temporary employees after the eight-month period of employment, except by
mutual agreement between the Company
and the Guild. Temporary employees whose positions are extended beyond twelve
(12) months shall receive one week’s vacation. 5.
Part-time and, or temporary employees shall not be employed where, in
effect, such employment would eliminate or displace a regular full-time
employee. ARTICLE VII Sick Leave
1. Sick leave shall be
calculated on an anniversary year basis. The company will provide eight (8)
days sick pay annually which may be taken only when an employee is unable to
work due to illness. The company can request that an employee furnish a
doctor’s certificate or other reasonable proof when absent for three (3)
consecutive days or more. 2.
An employee shall receive a normal week's salary for a period of his or
her incapacitation. There shall be
no holiday premium pay during the sick leave period.
Short-term disability
(a) Employees can accumulate the above eight days per year during their
employment to a maximum of 90 days per year. Only unused days during the year
will be carried over to the maximum of 90 days total. These accumulated days
will constitute a short-term disability bank which can be used for any illness
of five (5) days or longer. This benefit will begin on the 6th work
day of disability. The five days will constitute a waiting period.
All employees on the payroll on 1/1/07 will be provided an initial bank
of 7 days short term disability pay per full year of service to a maximum of
70 days. These days are part of the maximum accumulation of ninety (90) days.
(b) If an employee exhausts his sick pay and short-term disability
bank, the employee will be eligible for 26 weeks of additional sick leave at
60 percent of the employee’s negotiated rate of pay for those employees with
two years or more of service. Those employees with less than two years service
will be eligible for 13 weeks of additional sick leave. Details of this
extended short-term disability plan are available from the Human Resources
Director.
(c) An employee who exhausts his disability bank shall earn additional
sick leave benefits according to the following schedule: For one year of
uninterrupted employment - 55 percent of maximum short-term disability
schedule; two years of uninterrupted employment – 85 percent of maximum
short-term disability schedule; three years of uninterrupted employment - 100
additional percent of maximum short-term disability schedule.
The maximum regeneration under this program will be 70 days. Unused
individual sick days will continue to be accumulated into the bank until the
90-day maximum is reached.
Sick
pay and/or the short-term disability bank are not considered earned and will
not be paid out upon termination of employment, including retirement.
3. This program will become effective as of the date of
ratification. Benefit payments under the prior Guild sick leave plan will
continue for those employees on sick leave as of the date of ratification. 4.
If an employee becomes ill or injured while on vacation, sick leave
will not start until the end of the scheduled vacation period.
However, an employee who becomes ill or injured before his scheduled
vacation begins shall have the right to reschedule his vacation. 5.
No employee shall be entitled to sick pay for the period of any absence
due to an injury incurred working for any other current employer. 6.
Sick leave payments shall terminate upon termination of employment or death of
the employee. 7.
If there is a pattern of apparent abuse by an individual, the Company
has the right to establish a three-day waiting period for sick leave for that
individual. 8.
An employee cannot accrue sick leave or use sick leave benefits for any
purpose other than illness or injury. 9. Employees claiming
benefits under this Section shall, upon request, submit to an examination by a
doctor or doctors designated and paid for by the Company. 10.
In all cases of compensable accident, amounts paid under Worker's
Compensation shall be deducted from any amount paid by the Company,
as in the past. 11.
Company agrees to notify the
Guild when sick leave pay is reduced or discontinued. ARTICLE
VIII Security 1.
There shall be no discharge as a result of putting this Agreement into
effect. 2.
Discharges may be either (1) for good and sufficient cause or (2) to reduce
the force, which latter shall be construed as synonymous with discharges for
economy. 3.
Discharges for causes are subject to review under Article XVI, Adjustment of
Disputes. The Company's
right to determine the size of the force
is recognized and the right to
reduce the force for economy (either permanently or temporarily) shall not be
subject to review by the Board of Arbitration, provided, however, that in the
event the Guild believes that reasons other than economy have entered into the
designation of the person or persons to be laid off, it may appeal the
particular case or cases to arbitration.
Stringers and free lancers in no case will replace or displace bargaining
unit employees. 4.
A. Layoffs to reduce the force, as distinguished from dismissals for just and
sufficient cause, shall not be made until the Company notifies the Guild
thirty (30) days in advance that such layoffs are necessary and that no
reasonable alternative exists.
B. The Company shall notify the Guild of any proposed layoffs to reduce
the force, specifying the job title, job classification and work groups
defined below (the “work group”), number of employees per work
group, numerical order of layoffs within each work group, numerical order of
overall layoffs, and the facts upon which the Company relies to establish
the necessity pursuant to Section 4A above.
C. In the event such layoffs are necessary, the following procedures
shall be observed: (1)
Voluntary incentives as designed by the Company may first be offered for a
reduction in force after consultation with the Guild. (2)
Eliminate thirty (30%) percent of the stringer budget and all intern
programs, temporary and probationary employees.
(3) If
additional cost reductions are necessary, the Company, after implementing any
voluntary methods for reducing the force in consultation with the Guild, will
proceed with layoffs in inverse seniority order in the affected work groups.
The first employee to be laid off shall be the junior two year associate in
the affected work group. If there is no two year associate in the affected
work group, the first employee to be laid off shall be the junior two-year
associate in the bargaining unit. The Company reserves the right to offer
regular employment to any two year associate, including one who would
otherwise be subject to layoff as a two year associate under this provision.
Thereafter, layoffs shall be in inverse seniority order in the affected
work group. Substitute voluntary resignations in the affected groups will be
given consideration by the Company in lieu of employees otherwise slated for
separation. The work group for purposes of layoff will be divided as follows: I.
Content providers in Local News and Business II.
Content providers in Features and Editorial III.
Content providers in Sports IV.
Content providers and Editors in Photography/Multimedia/Art V.
Content Editors and Assigning Editors VI.
Clerical/Librarians/News Assistants (4)
a. For the purposes of layoff, length of service for part-time employees shall
be counted on a pro-rated basis. (For example, an employee who has worked
three days per week for 20 years shall be credited with 12 years of service.)
b. Employees in Work Group VI above who have performed work in a higher
work group for at least 50 percent of their prior year’s service shall be
considered part of that work group for the purposes of a layoff. The company
shall furnish the Guild (annually and upon request) with a current breakdown
of employees arranged by seniority and work group.
c. Transferred employees must be in a new work group for at least six
months to be considered part of that work group for layoff purposes.
Otherwise, they shall be considered part of the last work group they occupied
for at least six months prior to the transfer. (5) In
the event of recall, the recall shall be in reverse order of layoff. Such
recall rights will last 12 months from the date of the employee’s layoff. (6)
The Company will forward notice of recall by
certified mail to the Guild and to the last known address of the employee
reflected on Company records. The employee must, within seven (7) calendar
days of delivery or attempted delivery of the notice of recall, notify the
Company of his/her intent to return to work on the date specified for recall
and, therefore, return to work on such date. D.
In the event a laid off employee is not recalled within a year or is not
employed elsewhere, severance pay based on his actual time of employment will
be paid. If the employee is rehired within 12 months from the time the
severance pay is received and the employee’s seniority is restored under the
provisions of the termination of seniority below, the employee will not be
eligible for severance if any further layoffs occur. E. An employee laid off as a result of the
provisions of this clause will continue to receive their health/life insurance
benefits for a period of three (3) months under the same conditions that
applied when he/she was on the payroll. Also,
for an additional three (3) months, the Company shall pay fifty (50%) percent
of whatever premium or health and life insurance benefits being paid for full
time employees, for those laid off employees. F.
Termination of Seniority – An employee’s seniority shall be broken and
rights under this Agreement forfeited for the following reasons: i.)
discharge, retirement, or resignation; ii.)
absence from work due to a layoff for more than twenty-four (24) months iii.)
failure to give notice of intent to work when recalled after a layoff within
the time period specified in Article VIII 4(c), except in case of emergency; iv.)
Employees who are off work as a
result of illness or non work related injury and who are unable to either
return to their regular position or obtain another regular position within
their bargaining unit within two years of their date of disability shall have
their benefits and seniority terminated. Said two years will continue to run
from the date of disability, unless the employee returns for a period in
excess of sixty (60) consecutive calendar days in which event the employee’s
two year time period shall commence anew;; v.)
Employees who are injured on
duty as a result of a work related injury and who are unable to either return
to their regular position or obtain another regular position within their
bargaining unit within three years of their date of disability shall have
their benefits and seniority terminated. Said three years will continue to run
from the date of disability, unless the employee returns for a period in
excess of sixty (60) consecutive calendar days in which event the employee’s
three year time period shall commence anew; vi.)
failure to return to work on the first work day following a leave of absence
except in cases of emergency 5.
For any employee hired without his
having had one or more years, prior experience in the classification of work
for which he is hired and regardless of experience rating assigned for salary
purposes, the first three months of his employment shall be a probationary
period, with a three-month extension at the Company's
option. Company will give such employee periodic appraisal of his work and
will notify the Guild of dismissal. For
an employee hired who has had at least one year of experience on a daily
newspaper, and regardless of experience rating assigned for salary purposes,
the first three months of his employment shall be a probationary period.
By mutual agreement between the Guild, the employee and the Company,
this probationary period may be extended for three additional months. Probationary
employees shall have all the benefits of this Agreement during their
probationary period, except that they shall not have the right to appeal their
dismissal under the grievance provision of this Agreement. Tryouts
will be for posted positions only, and tryouts may be given in any department.
The tryout period will be for one week.
By mutual consent between the Company
and the Guild, the trial period may be extended. An
employee may ask for a tryout for any position or job that is posted because
of an opening or resignation. There
may be no more than one tryout at any time in a single department and no more
than three (3) on tryout at any time in all departments. If
a person is hired after a tryout period of one week or more, the entire tryout
time will be considered as part of the probationary period. 6.
(a) When an employee with six
months' service or more is to be discharged, the Guild and the employee shall
be notified in writing at least two weeks in advance of such discharge.
Two weeks' pay in lieu of notice may be given by mutual agreement
between the Company and the
Guild.
(b) In the event of discharge for gross misconduct, or in the case of
misconduct after notice has been given said employee may be laid off
immediately.
(c) A dismissed employee and the Guild shall receive in writing from
the Company the reason for
dismissal of any employee covered by this Agreement. 7.
There shall be no speed-up in work
so as to place unreasonable duties upon any of the employees as a result of
which their competency might be questioned.
Any reduction in the force shall not result in placing unreasonable
duties upon any of the remaining employees as a result of which their
competency might be questioned. 8.
There shall be no discrimination
against any employee or prospective employee because of sex, age, race, creed,
color, national origin, sexual orientation, marital or parental status and
those disabilities defined and covered under the Americans with Disabilities
Act. 9.
The Company
will notify the Guild when changes are made in operations that will alter the
duties of employees covered by this Agreement.
Furthermore, the Company
agrees that an adequate period of training will be provided at the Company's
expense for such employees. 10.
An employee who could be dismissed by the introduction of new or modified
equipment, machines, apparatus or processes shall be afforded the opportunity
to transfer to other available positions. 11.
Any employee assigned to operate Company-owned equipment shall be given an
adequate period of training at the Company's
expense. 12.
Any employee assigned to operate a computer shall be offered an eye
examination at the Company's
expense prior to beginning work on such devices, and may be retested at least
every two years. ARTICLE
IX Expenses 1.
If required, all reporters and photographers, will use their personal
cars in the service of the Company. Company
cars will no longer be provided to employees for exclusive use and therefore,
employees will be expected to turn over company owned vehicles to the Company
within 60 days of ratification of this Agreement. The Company will reimburse
employees who currently possess company cars $3,000, less applicable taxes and
authorized deductions, upon receipt of vehicle by the Company. 2.
For the term of this agreement,
the Company will reimburse for the business use of a vehicle by paying a
vehicle allowance of 46 cents per mile. The reimbursement rates are based on
gas price of $3.00 per gallon. The company will review the Western PA AAA gas
rate on January 1 and July
1. The company will adjust the reimbursement rate by 1.5 cent, upward or
downward, for every 25 cent change from the $3.00 base rate on these dates. 3.
The Company agrees to
furnish the Guild with a list of all employees whose automobiles are regularly
used. A day's notice must be given
if an employee who does not regularly use his car is required to use his car
in the service of the Company. 4.
Necessary working equipment shall be provided for employees and paid
for by the Company.
If approved by the Company, an employee may use his personal equipment to cover
breaking news and stories on deadline. Other
use of personal equipment shall be by mutual agreement.
It is understood that an employee can work on the Company's
equipment out of the office to cover breaking news, deadline stories and
columns. The Company
shall provide a list of who is using his personal equipment and for what
purpose. In no case shall an
employee or applicant for employment be required to make personal equipment
available as a condition of employment. 5. Company
agrees to pay entire cost of parking in downtown lots for photographers
and videographers. For cars not regularly used, the Company
shall pay all parking costs up to a maximum of $15.00 per day, after
the employee pays the initial parking fee.
6. Requests for reimbursement of expenses shall be submitted within 30
days of completion of the assignment. Any extension must be approved by the
Managing Editor. 7. Employees who are authorized to use employee owned automobiles for the
benefit of the Company will keep their cars in such condition that they shall
be approved by the inspection bureau of the state, and while operated for the
benefit of the Company shall be operated only by an employee, who shall be a
duly licensed operator of a motor vehicle, of which proof will be required on
a yearly basis. 8. Each employee, while continuing employment with the Company and
continuing authorized use of personally owned cars in performance of work,
shall purchase and maintain public liability insurance in the amount of
$100,000 - $300,000; property damage in the amount of $50,000; and medical
payment auto insurance, subject to No-Fault of Pennsylvania, of which proof
will be required on a yearly basis. ARTICLE X INTERNSHIPS, TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATES 1.
Unpaid academic internships will be limited to fourteen
(14) a year. The number may be
increased by mutual consent between the Company
and the Guild.
a. The Company will provide timely notice of all academic internships, which
shall include starting and ending dates.
b. Academic internships will be limited to 32 hours per week and
each intern's work hours will be posted. If
an intern is required or requested to work beyond that limit, he/she will be
hired as a temporary employee (Article VI, Paragraph 4) and paid at the
appropriate prorated first-year intern scale.
c. No student will serve more than two academic internships. 2.
The Company agrees to
recognize paid
intern service when computing pay scales for beginner staff members. Each paid
internship will be limited to 13 weeks unless extended by mutual agreement
between the Company and the Guild. Individual
internships will not be consecutive. 3.
The Company may hire
two-year associates under the following conditions:
A. All of the provisions of
the contract with the exception of articles VI, XIII, XIV, XV, XVII and XVIII,
will apply. However, associates will be eligible for the funeral and parental
leaves outlined in Article XV.
B. The period of employment
cannot exceed 24 months and will not be renewed or extended.
C. The Company
may offer regular employment to associates at any time during their
period of employment.
D. Associates may work in
any classification with the understanding that only their first four weeks of
employment may involve news
assistant/clerical work. After the first four weeks they are excluded from the
following classifications: news assistant, clerk, and messenger.
E. There will be no
assignment restrictions
F. No vacation bonuses will
be paid by the Company to two-year associates. ARTICLE
XI Vacations 1.
Employees
hired prior to July 1 shall receive an annual vacation with full pay of one
(1) week after six months of service:
two (2) weeks for one (1) complete year of service; three (3) weeks for
three (3) continuous years of service; four (4) weeks for eight (8) continuous
years of service and five (5) weeks for 23 continuous years of service with
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette or other Block newspapers. The service requirement
for five weeks of vacation will decrease as follows: 21 years in 2002; 20
years in 2003; 18 years in 2004.
Employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2007, will receive a maximum of
four (4) weeks vacation.
Employees hired at the top minimum prior to July 1 will receive two (2)
weeks of vacation after six months of service.
Employees hired at the top minimum between July 1 and August 31 will
receive one week of vacation after three months of service (the length of
service requirements may be waived by the department head to meet the needs of
the office). After
one (1) complete year of service, all employees at the top reporter/editor
minimum will receive three
(3) weeks of vacation. An employee
requesting vacation must give at least three (3) days' notice. Effective
January 1, 1994:
All former Press employees will receive credit, for vacation purposes
only, for their service with the Pittsburgh Press Company.
All employees hired between Jan. 1, 1987 and Jan. 1, 1993, will
receive, for vacation purposes only, an extra year of service.
The extra year of service is eliminated after the employee receives
four weeks of vacation. 2.
The employee's hiring date will determine his vacation eligibility.
With the exception of Christmas week, seniority will be the basis for
vacation preference if the request is submitted between January I and March 1.
Employees who do not meet the March 1 deadline will be accommodated, if
possible, but they will not be able to use their seniority after March 1 to
bump someone who has scheduled his vacation prior to March 1. Christmas
vacation will be granted on a rotating basis according to seniority but
requests for Christmas week must be submitted and posted by September 1. No
bumping of Christmas week will be permitted after the September 1 deadline.
It is the declared intent of both the Company
and the Guild that vacations be arranged in the best interest of the
individual employee as well as the needs of the office and, when possible,
vacations shall be granted in the more desirable vacation months. 3.
Employees eligible for 5 weeks of vacation must take at least one week
prior to March 31. Also, all
employees who do not submit vacation requests prior to September 1 will be
assigned vacations by their department heads. 4.
With the exception of the city staff/local news desk and the copy desk,
vacations should be scheduled so that only one person from a department is off
at any one time. The city
staff/local news desk limit is five and the copy desk limit is two.
Exceptions must be approved by the managing editor.
For vacation purposes only, local columnists are not assigned to a
department. 5.
By arrangement with other employees and the approval of the department
head, off days shall be changed in weeks preceding and following vacation
periods, to provide a longer vacation where possible. 6.
The vacation period shall be continuous, but employees shall have the
privilege of splitting their vacations in such manner as may be agreed to
between them and the Company. 7.
When a recognized holiday or day celebrated as such occurs during the
vacation period of an employee, that employee shall receive an extra day to be
added to his vacation period where possible, or be given an additional day off
at another date. 8.
The Guild recognizes the right of the Company
to assign employees to work normally done by employees on vacation or on sick
leave, provided provisions regarding wages and hours are not waived. 9.
With the exception of self-provoked discharge or failure to give two
weeks' notice, accrued vacation pay will be paid on termination of employment
or in the event of death to the designated beneficiary according to the
following schedule:
Less
than 3 complete years of service......................................................
0
3
to 6 complete years of service............................................
1 week's pay
7
to 11 complete years of service..........................................
2 weeks' pay
12
to 15 complete years of service........................................
3 weeks' pay
16
or more years of service...................................................
4 weeks' pay Effective May 1, 2007, the accrued vacation pay will be diverted to the
Guild Pension Plan for the current contract. 10.
Employees shall receive a $25 bonus for each year of service. For every
year after 15 years, the employee will receive an additional $25 bonus for
each year or service. For example, an employee with 25 years of service will
receive $875 (25 x $25 = $625 + $250 (10 x $25) = $875). Effective Jan. 1,
2007, these service bonuses will be diverted to the Guild Pension Plan for the
current contract. ARTICLE
XII Holidays 1.
The following holidays, or days observed as such, shall be granted to
all employees as provided in this Article: New Year's Day, Memorial Day,
Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
An employee also shall receive the day of his or her choice as a
personal holiday with the understanding that if the employee desires to
observe a day of special religious observance he or she shall take the
personal holiday on such date unless the employee is able to shift his or her
day off with another employee. Effective
January 1, 1980, an employee shall receive a second day of his/her choice as a
personal holiday. Effective
January 1, 1998, every employee shall receive his birthday as an off day with
pay. An employee hired after
January 1, 1985, will be eligible for two (2) personal holidays after working
12 complete months. To claim a
personal holiday, an employee must give at least three (3) days' notice.
Personal holidays are subject to
the same limits described in Article XI, Paragraph 4. Effective January 2003,
Martin Luther King Day or another day of the employee’s choice will be
observed as a day off with pay. Company seniority will determine which
employees can be off with the understanding that the department head will
determine how many employees can be off on the day observed as Martin Luther
King Day. 2. An employee required to
work on the holiday shall receive an extra day's pay in addition to his
regular weekly salary; and an employee required to work on his day off during
a holiday week shall be compensated at the rate of time and one-half but not
less than a day's pay in addition to his regular weekly salary.
Effective January 1, 1981, an employee will receive 6-1/4 days' pay for
the holiday week if he/she is scheduled to work the holiday and 4 other days
during the holiday week. 3.
In the week in which one or more of those holidays fall, all time
worked beyond the remaining work days or work hours shall be paid for at the
overtime rate. 4.
When an employee's off-day falls on a holiday, or a day celebrated as
such, he shall be given a day off at another date within a month, or may add
the day to his vacation period if possible.
To earn premium pay, the employee must work the holiday.
5. Personal days are based on the number of hours the part-time
employee is regularly scheduled to work. For example, an employee who normally
works three days a week will receive 60 percent of the birthday, two personal
days and Martin Luther King Day (60 percent of 30 hours = 18 hours, which is
two days and three hours).
ARTICLE XIII Advancement, Promotion and
Transfer 1.
When new positions, vacancies or openings are to be filled, first
consideration shall be given to the employees in Guild jurisdiction to whom
advancement to the vacancy would constitute a promotion insofar as salary or
any other remuneration is concerned. The
Company shall immediately post
notice of such vacancies, openings or jobs.
An employee desiring to fill such vacancies, openings or jobs may
either do so orally or may submit written applications within five (5) days of
posting. 2.
When an employee is advanced to a position in a higher classification,
he shall be paid the salary minimum in the advanced classification next above
his salary at the time of advancement, or be given an increase not less than
one year's increase in experience rating in his former classification,
whichever is greater. The
effective date of such advancement shall become the employee's new anniversary
date, provided further that at no time thereafter shall the employee be paid
less than he would have received through the normal operation of the
experience progression schedule had he retained his former classification. 3.
The trial period for an employee so advanced shall be 75 days, which
time may be lessened or extended by mutual agreement between the Company
and the Guild. 4.
If at the end of such trial period the employee's service is found to
be unsatisfactory, he shall be returned to his former position at the rate of
pay received prior to his advancement plus any additional benefits that may
have been granted in that classification during his temporary assignment or be
given the option of accepting his severance pay. 5.
For purposes of training, an employee may be transferred from one
department to another for a period of up to 90 days.
This period may be extended for 60 days by agreement of the Company,
the employee and Guild, or terminated by the Company or the employee. During
this training period the employee will continue to receive his salary
including any step-ups in the category for which he otherwise would have been
eligible. If the employee is being
trained in a higher classification, he shall receive $4.00 a week during such
training in addition to his salary including any step-ups for which he
otherwise would have been eligible. An
employee may elect to return to his original department during the first 90
days of the training program by giving two weeks' notice to the Company. Any decision
by the employee regarding the termination of the training program will be
accepted by the Company without
prejudice. If an employee requests
a transfer to another department, it will be on the basis of a one-year trial
with the understanding that he can be returned to his original department
prior to the expiration of the trial period. 6.
An employee promoted or transferred to take the place of one entering
military service, may upon resumption of employment by such employee who was
in military service, be returned to his previous position, salary for which
shall not be less than the then current minimum applicable to that job
classification taking into consideration his accumulated experience rating and
increases in minimum wages and general increases granted to that job
classification during the period of such assignment, or his prior salary plus
any general increases, whichever is higher, or be given the option of
accepting his severance pay. 7.
An employee promoted or transferred to fill in as a replacement for an
employee on extended sick leave, maternity leave, or other leave of absence or
transferred for purposes of training, shall be subject to the conditions
outlined in paragraph 6, above, excepting that he shall not have the option of
accepting his severance pay. 8.
No
employee shall be transferred by the Company
to another enterprise in the same city, or to work in another city, whether in
the same enterprise or in other enterprises conducted by the Company,
or by a subsidiary, related or parent company of the Company,
without the employee's consent and payment of all transportation and other
moving expenses of himself and family. There
shall be no reduction in salary or impairment of other benefits as a result of
such transfer. A transferred
employee may be recalled at the Company’s
discretion with all transportation and moving expenses paid by the Company.
An employee shall not be penalized for refusing to accept a transfer. In
the event that a position cannot be filled with a Guild member under this
provision, the company has the right to temporarily fill the position with a
current exempt employee for a period not to exceed one year. If the position
remains filled by an exempt employee at the end of a year, the company will
post the job. In the event that no Guild member applies for the position or
the company determines that none of the applicants is qualified, the exempt
employee can remain in the position for another year without becoming a Guild
member. It is understood the use of an exempt employee in this capacity is not
intended to replace bargaining unit work. The exempt employee in this role
will not count toward the 30% limitation as established elsewhere in
the contract. 9.
Management shall have the right to transfer employees from one newsroom
department to another for up to one year to meet the needs of the office. At
the end of one year, transferred employees can remain in the current
assignment or may apply for another available position. Transfers cannot be a
result of punitive action. For purposes of definition, the following is each a
department: Local News, Sports, Universal
Desk (Copy/Pagination/Web Desk),
Features, Editorial, Business, Photography/Multimedia,
Library and Art. These department designations can be modified by mutual
agreement between the company and the Guild. ARTICLE
XIV Severance
Pay 1.
Upon the discharge of any employee covered by this Agreement for causes
other than deliberate self-provoked discharge and
dismissal for cause, the Company
shall pay the said employee as dismissal compensation a lump sum of
money to be determined in accordance with the following schedule, for years of
continuous and uninterrupted employment: One week's pay after
6 months' employment and one additional week's pay for each additional 6
months' employment, but not to exceed a total of 52 weeks' pay. 2.
"Deliberate self-provoked discharge" shall mean (1) in cases
when an employee conducts himself in a manner to compel discharge in order to
collect dismissal indemnities rather than resign when it is the employee's
intention to accept another position; (2) when an employee intends to retire
from newspaper work and rather than resign, provokes discharge to collect
dismissal indemnities; and (3) when an employee is guilty of proven theft. 3.
The salary paid as dismissal compensation shall be the highest (except
bonuses and pay for special work) received by the employee during the last 52
weeks of his employment. 4.
The years of continuous and uninterrupted employment provided herein
shall mean the total consecutive and uninterrupted years of service with the Company
or with any enterprise associated or affiliated with the Company
and military service completed during the Military Emergency and Selective
Service Act Enactment Period of World War II provided dismissal pay has not
been previously paid. Leaves of
Absence shall not constitute breaks in service. ARTICLE
XV 1.
By arrangement with the Company,
employees may be granted leaves of absence without prejudice to continuing
employment or reduction of severance pay computation except that such time on
leave shall not be considered service time. 2.
If an employee is elected or appointed to any office of The Newspaper
Guild/Communications Workers of
America, or AFL-CIO, CLC or any office of a local of The Newspaper Guild, such
employee shall, upon request, be given a leave of absence without pay, and
shall be reinstated in the same position upon the expiration of such leave.
The foregoing shall also apply to delegates elected to The Newspaper
Guild and AFL-CIO, CLC Conventions, both national and local, and to delegates
to special meetings, called by The Newspaper Guild.
The number of employees on leave under this Section shall be limited to five at any one time,
except by mutual consent. 3.(a)
Any employee who has had five continuous years in the employ of the Company
without a leave of absence shall be given at the employee's request a
leave of absence not to exceed six months, without pay.
Such leaves shall not constitute a break in employment, though the time
spent on the leave shall not be counted in computing dismissal pay.
Such leaves may be limited to one from each department at any one time.
(b) An employee with
at least 10 years of service shall be given, at his/her request, a leave of
absence not to exceed three months, at half pay. Such leaves may be limited to
two at any given time. An employee may exercise this right every five years. As of Jan. 1, 2007, such leaves will be suspended for the duration of the
current contract and wage savings from such leaves will be diverted into the
Guild Pension Plan. 4.
The vacation period following a leave of absence must be delayed by
half the actual time of the leave. If
a leave of absence is granted to an employee who has not had five years of
continuous service, said employee's vacation the following year shall be
reduced proportionately. 5.
An employee granted a leave, as outlined in paragraph 3, above, shall
not use a leave for the purpose of trying out another position, unless agreed
to by the Company. 6.
Upon request funeral leaves according to the following schedule will be
granted: Two days: death of
grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, close relative. Three
days: death of mother, father, brother sister, step-parent, step-brother,
step-sister. Five
Days: death of spouse, spousal relationship, child or step-child. An
additional funeral leave of up to five days at ½ pay is available. 7.
(a)
Upon request, unpaid maternity, paternity or adoptive parent leave of not more
than 8 months shall be granted. (b)
Adoptive parent shall be granted a six-week leave at ½ pay at the time of
adoption.
(c) Parents not eligible
for sick leave at the time of birth will be given the opportunity to
take
a six-week leave of absence at ½ pay. 8.
Upon request, employees shall be granted two (2) days parental leave
with pay at the time of delivery or adoption. 9.
The
parties agree to comply with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
An employee who has been employed by the Company for twelve (12) months
and who has completed the requisite one thousand two hundred fifty (1,250)
hours of work during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the
commencement of such leave, will be entitled to leave under that Act.
The employee shall have the right to elect whether they want to use any
of their vacation, sick leave and/or other paid leave to run concurrently with
leaves of absences under the Family and Medical Leave Act. 10.
The Guild shall be notified of all leaves and the conditions under
which granted. ARTICLE
XVI Adjustment
of Disputes
1. It is the intent of the
parties to this Agreement that every effort will be made to avoid
disagreements, misunderstandings, employee management problems and disputes.
Initially, any affected employee and that employee's immediate
supervisor shall attempt to resolve any questions, problems or
misunderstandings. A grievance
shall be defined as a dispute over an alleged violation of this agreement.
2. In the event any such
dispute is not resolved, then a grievance shall be submitted to the employee's
supervisor. Within ten (10) days
after receipt of the grievance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the
supervisor shall meet with the Union President/Business Representative, or
designee in an attempt to resolve such dispute.
3. In the event the dispute
is not settled to the satisfaction of the parties, the matter shall be
referred to the Director of Personnel/Labor Relations, or designee, and the
Union President/Business Representative, or designee, for settlement.
4. The Director of Personnel/Labor Relations, or designee, and Union
President, or designee, shall, within ten (10) days after receipt of the
grievance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, meet and attempt to
resolve the grievance. If they are
unable to resolve the dispute within ten (10) days, excluding Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays, from the date of their first meeting following referral
of the dispute, either party may, within thirty (30) additional days,
excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, request the dispute be submitted to
arbitration.
5. The parties shall then
promptly attempt to mutually agree upon an impartial arbitrator within ten
(10) working days after receipt of the request to submit the dispute to
arbitration. If the parties are
unable to agree upon an impartial arbitrator, then the Company and
6. Once a grievance is
filed and the answering party fails to respond within the prescribed time
limits, the grievance shall be automatically moved to the next step.
7. The parties may mutually
agree to extend the time limits set forth above.
The expense of the arbitration shall be shared equally by both parties.
The arbitrator shall have no power to add to, subtract from, modify or
amend any provisions of this Agreement. Each
party agrees to accept and abide by the award of the arbitrator, which shall
be final and binding. ARTICLE
XVII Military
Service
The Company shall comply with the provisions of the Uniform Service
Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act of 1994, as well as any state
legislation or regulations applicable to employees called to military leave.
A full time employee who is unable to report for regularly scheduled
work because the employee is required to report for active duty with the
United States National Guard or a Reserve unit of the United States Military
shall, for each of the first ten (10) work days lost because of such duty, be
compensated in an amount equal to the difference between a day's pay at a
straight time rate of pay and the amount earned for military service. ARTICLE
XVIII Preferential
Re-Employment 1.
When the Company makes discharges or layoffs other than for cause, such
discharged or laid off persons shall be placed upon a rehiring list.
No person -- other than for positions excluded from the Agreement --
shall be hired by the Company except from this rehiring list (per Article VIII, Para.
4C(6)) unless same is exhausted with respect to the general type of work for
which an additional employee is desired. 2.
Employees who have signed temporary replacement cards for employment
because of enlistment or conscription of regular employees also shall be
placed on the rehiring list when discharged for reasons other than cause, upon
the return of the regular employee from war service, or when any temporary
employee enters the armed services. 3.
The Company shall supply
to the Guild the names of those persons who are placed upon the rehiring list
with the date of their discharge, and the Company shall notify the Guild when persons are hired from such a
list. 4.
In the event a vacancy occurs in a post carrying less salary than an
employee received at the time of his dismissal, he may accept the lesser
salary if mutually agreeable to him, the Guild and the Company. Such an
employee shall be given the first opportunity to fill in a higher
classification. In the event of
his reemployment before the period of his severance pay has expired, the
employee shall remit the unexpired portion of his severance pay in a lump sum,
or on a basis to be determined by mutual agreement between him, the Guild and
the Company, provided that any sum remitted shall be added to severance
pay as set forth in Article XIV in the event of a subsequent dismissal. ARTICLE
XIX Miscellaneous 1.
Seniority as used in this Agreement means the continuous length of
service with the Company. If
application of the preceding sentence results in two (2) or more employees
having the same seniority, the employee whose name appears earlier on the
Company’s alphabetical listing of employees shall be deemed more senior.
2.
An employee's by-line, initials, credit,
tagline or other identifying information shall not be used over his protest. 3.
During the life of this Agreement the Company
will not effect or cause to be effected any reductions in the face amount of
the respective policies now in force under the present Group Insurance Plan of
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 4.
Employees may be assigned to
use multi-media equipment for print and electronic publications without
restriction. The company shall provide equipment and adequate training for use
of such equipment. Employees shall not be subject to discipline for a good
faith effort to perform a skill outside their job classification. 5.
Free-lance photographers may be
retained for photo and video assignments to supplement existing
coverage. Furthermore, it is understood that the use of free-lancers is
not intended to replace bargaining unit jobs or work. 6.
Exempt
employees and freelancers can be used in SEEN, PLUSH and similar
publications. The use of exempt and freelancers is not intended to displace
bargaining unit jobs or work. 7.
Bulletin boards suitably placed in all departments shall be
maintained exclusively for the use of the Guild. 8.
No
employee shall he required to take over the duties of any employee in another
department of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the event of a labor dispute in
such department, or by assuming new duties to assist in the operation of a
department where employees are on strike.
No strike,
slowdown, work stoppage or any other interference with or interruption of work
shall be permitted during the term of this Agreement.
Nor shall the Company lock out its employees during the term of this
agreement. 9.
The
Company agrees not to have or
enter into any agreement with any other Company
binding such other Company not
to offer or give employment to employees of the Company. 10.
The
Guild shall be notified within 24 hours of all resignations tendered.
Resignations shall be subject to grievance procedure upon notice from
the Guild within four days after receipt of notice from the Company. 11.
For
the purpose of application of this Agreement, it is understood that wherever
the masculine pronoun is used as reference, the feminine pronoun also applies,
in the language of this agreement. 12.
Employees will be free
to engage in any activity outside of working hours under the following
conditions: (A)
Employee must notify the Company in advance of any such activities. (B)
Provided such activity does not consist of services performed for
publications, radio, TV stations, or digital
entities in direct
competition with the Company.
(C) Provided such activities
do not involve volunteer or paid work for any
business, institution or organization that the employee regularly covers, or
for any local or national political party or government service, either
appointive or elective. (D) The
Company shall notify the Guild of its decision in these matters. There
will be no exceptions to these provisions except as set forth by the Company
and on file in the Post-Gazette’s Personnel folder of the affected employee
or employees. (Code
of ethics is reprinted in the back of the contract). 13.
In
the event that any valid Federal or State law or the final decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction renders illegal any provisions of this
Agreement, all other terms and provisions of the Agreement shall continue in
full force and effect. 14.
An
employee may refuse to perform his or her duties when, in good faith and with
good cause, he or she believes abnormally dangerous working conditions exist. 15.
An
employee called for jury duty or as a witness and required to serve, shall
receive his regular salary less any amounts paid him for jury duty or as
witness fees. 16.
The
Company shall supply the Guild
on request, but not more than twice in one year, a list containing the
following information for all employees on the payroll under Guild
Jurisdiction. (A) Name,
address, minority group,
sex, date of birth, and Social Security number.
(B) Date of hiring.
(C)
Classification.
(D)
Experience rating and experience anniversary date.
(E) Salary. The
Company shall notify the Guild
monthly in writing of:
(a) Merit increases granted by name
of the employee, individual amount, resulting new salary, and effective date.
(b)
Step-up
increases paid by name of employee, individual amount, resulting new salary,
and effective date.
(c)
Changes
in classification, salary changes by reason thereof, and effective date.
(d)
Resignations,
retirements, deaths and other revisions in the data listed in the first
section of this
paragraph
and effective dates.
17.
The
Guild recognizes the company’s right to conduct periodic written performance
reviews for all employees.
18. The news assistant
classification is based on the following:
A.
Writing Duties: All
writing could be described as non-creative.
Examples: Engagements, weddings, routine obits, rewriting of church
news, military announcements and routine news releases.
If news assistant is asked to perform as a reporter, he/she will be
paid as a reporter.
B.
Research: Available
to do research for reporters, but such assignments will be made by news
assistant’s immediate supervisor.
C.
Department: Not
assigned to a particular department but will not be delegated to more than one
department during a single work day with this exception: he/she might be
required to perform traditional clerical duties to meet the needs of the
office.
D.
Non-writing news
assistants: Photo – pick up film from sporting events, handle reprint
orders, mix chemicals and file negatives.
In addition, by mutual agreement between each photographer and a news
assistant, non-deadline film may be processed by the news assistant.
The processing of deadline film, however, will be determined by either
the head photographer or the graphics editor. Art Department –
routine graphics such as business charts, weather maps, simple bar graphs,
calling down existing AP graphics and adapting them to PG style.
E.
Existing clerks or
future clerks might work as a news assistant one or two days a week for which
they will be paid a daily differential. Furthermore,
first consideration shall be given to the employees in Guild jurisdiction to
whom advancement to the position of news assistant would constitute a
promotion.
F.
No news assistant
will be reprimanded for an error in news judgment. 19. A. The Company will
make reasonable efforts to provide a clean and safe working environment and to
avoid conditions hazardous to the health of his employees.
The employees will cooperate in maintaining these conditions. B.
The
Company and the Guild agree
that Repetitive Strain Injuries or Cumulative Traumas Disorders (collectively
RSI) are a matter of concern. The Company
and the Guild’s Health and Safety Committee will meet regularly to discuss
developments regarding RSI.
20.
Employees
may work at home with approval of the Company. The Guild will be notified of
any such arrangement. 21.
The Company is committed to ensuring that employees are free of the
dangerous effects of drugs and alcohol. A copy of the Company’s Drug and Alcohol Policy is available from the Human
Resources Director. 22.
The
Company has a Transitional Duty Program. Under this program, employees injured
due to an injury or illness and unable to perform all the functions of their
pre-injury job may be returned to work in a modified duty capacity. A copy of
the Company’s Transitional Duty Program is available from the Human
Resources Director. 23.
The Company and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh are committed to
instituting same sex healthcare benefits in the Guild unit at the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette subject to the following conditions: a.
That
such coverage is permissible within the State of b.
The
parties agree on the cost of the program. c.
That
the parties establish appropriate safeguards limiting the program to partners
in a long-term
committed relationship. ARTICLE
XX Insurance,
Health and Welfare, Pensions 1.
The Company shall make
available non-contributory Group Life Insurance with an agreed-upon plan and
under the terms and conditions of a Master Policy which contains the following
provisions: A.
90-day waiting period. B.
Insurance of one times annual salary with a maximum of $50,000.
C.
Employees age 70 and above will have insurance of 65 percent of annual salary
but not less than the minimum described in Paragraph B above. D.
Employees at retirement will have $4,000 of paid-up life insurance. 2.
The Company shall pay
the full cost of a travel accident policy for all employees, which includes
the following provisions: principal sum, $100,000; weekly indemnity, the
lesser of $100 or 65 percent of weekly earnings; waiting period, 60 days;
maximum number of weeks, 52.
3. Effective with the ratification of this
contract, the Company will provide a health insurance and prescription drug
plan to eligible employees,
their
spouses, and eligible dependents. A
'spouse' for purpose of this provision shall mean a person with whom the
eligible employee has a legally recognized marriage.
Employees
shall contribute ten (10%) percent of their wages for health insurance up to
$50,000 of earnings to a maximum of $5,000 per calendar year. This diversion
shall occur regardless of whether an employee participates in the Company's
health insurance program.
Employees/Retirees
shall have the right to opt out of the health insurance program. Any
employee/retiree opting out shall receive $100 per month. If an
Employee/Retiree opts out of coverage and receives compensation, these
payments will not be deemed as wages under any other benefit program.
Employee/Retiree may re-enter health insurance program upon the plan
renewal date or when there is a “life-changing event” as provided under
the Internal Revenue Code. A grid
of benefits is provided as Exhibit A of this agreement. A.
For all new hires, there is a ninety (90) day waiting period for all
insurance coverage under this agreement. B.
Spouses of employees who die prior to retirement will be covered with their
dependent children by the active
employee health care plan. The spouse will be required to pay 30 percent of
the composite coverage premium as a condition for obtaining coverage.
This coverage will end after five (5) years, at age 65, attainment
of Medicare eligibility or remarriage, whichever occurs soonest.
Coverage for children ends at their 19th birthday, or earlier if the
spouse’s coverage ends.
For such surviving spouses, a method will be set up where the surviving
spouse has a certain date in which to remit the required contributions.
If the surviving spouse fails to make those contributions, the
Post-Gazette must notify the surviving spouse of the delinquency by certified
mail/return receipt requested with a copy to the employees union and must be
afforded at least 30 days to make such payments.
If the payments are not remitted within 30 days after the surviving
spouse receives notice, the Company may then, in that event, cancel the
surviving spouse’s health care insurance.
Surviving spouses (under age 65 or
not Medicare eligible) of employees who die after retirement will be
covered by the active employee health care plan. The spouse will be required to
pay the same percentage of the composite premium as the retiree. This
coverage will end after five (5) years, or at age 65, attainment of Medicare eligibility or remarriage, whichever occurs soonest.
Coverage for surviving spouses 65 and older will cease 60
days after the employee’s death. For such
surviving spouses, retiree health care contributions should, if possible, be
made through deductions from the employees pension.
If not, a method will be set up where the surviving spouse has a
certain date in which to remit the required contributions.
If the surviving spouse fails to make those contributions, the
Post-Gazette must notify the retiree of the delinquency by certified
mail/return receipt requested with a copy to the employee’s union and must
be afforded at least 30 days to make such payments.
If the payments are not remitted within 30 days after the surviving
spouse receives notice, the Company may then, in that event, cancel the health
care insurance. C.
Retiree healthcare: 1.
Retiree health benefits during
the term of the 2010 Agreement shall be available to only those individuals
entitled to retiree health under the 2007 labor agreement standards, i.e., (a)
those who have obtained 80 points as of ratification of the 2007 collective
bargaining agreement (i.e. the “eligible retirees”) and/or (b) those who
during the life of that agreement attained an age which allows the employee to
retire under their respective pension plan and has twenty (20) years of
service under their plan. (The cutoff date for obtaining this benefit under
(b) shall be August 31, 2010.) 2.
Retiree health benefits for those
Medicare eligible shall be paid in the form of a monthly stipend.
The stipend shall be paid only where the retiree/spouse provides
evidence of health insurance in an amount up to the monthly cost of such
insurance or the stipend, whichever is less.
(The stipend shall be available to the retiree and spouse when Medicare
eligible.) 3.
The stipend for retirees/spouses
65 and older (i.e. Medicare eligible) shall be a maximum of $171.00 per month
each to retiree and spouse. 4.
Retiree/spouse
health benefits for those who are pre-65 (i.e., not Medicare eligible) shall
be provided to those retirees/spouses who pay 50% of the composite rate of
their selected insurance at the time of their retirement.
Once the retiree/spouse reaches age 65, he/she shall be eligible to
participate in the stipend program described. 5.
Retirees/spouse
shall have the right to opt out of the health insurance program.
Any retiree/spouse opting out shall receive $100.00 per month.
Such retirees/spouses who opt out may re-enter the stipend program
described above upon the renewal date (generally January) or when there is a
life-changing event. Life changing
event is generally prescribed in the Internal Revenue Code. 6.
Benefit
accruals for HRA accounts will be frozen as of 3/31/2010. The amount of HRA
money that the employer has been obligated to pay under the 2007 agreement
will be distributed in a lump sum to those active employees entitled to the
distribution when the employee leaves employment or March 31, 2013, whichever
first occurs. The amount paid to each individual will be distributed either to
a tax sheltered account of some sort or to the individual as a taxable event
at the option of the recipient. Thereafter,
the HRA program shall be discontinued. D.
Details of the hospitalization program are outlined in the Blue Cross booklet
available in the Labor Relations and Human Resources offices. E.
Dental/Optical insurance will be provided for active employees and their
dependents.
4. Effective January 1,
2003, employees and retirees may choose UPMC as an alternative to Highmark
Blue Cross/Blue Shield. 5. a. Effective with the ratification of this contract, benefit accruals for all
participants in the pension plan will be frozen.
Each Employee’s service will continue to be credited according to the
terms of the pension plan for purposes of vesting and benefit eligibility.
b. For the duration of the agreement, the Employer will make weekly
pension contributions of $75.70. Additionally,
each Employee will divert 2% of their base salary to the pension plan. The 2%
diversion will be valued at $211,000 a year during the life of this
contract. The Guild diverted the night differential for the term of the
contract. The night differential diversion will be valued at $45,000 a year
during the life of this contract. The Guild diverted the Vacation Bonus for
the term of the contract. The Vacation Bonus diversion will be valued at $69,000
a year during the life of this contract. The Guild diverted the Service Bonus
for the term of the contract. The Service Bonus diversion will be valued at $16,000
a year during the life of this contract. The Guild diverted the Accrued
Vacation language for the term of the contract. The Accrued Vacation language
diversion will be valued at $60,000 a year during the life of this contract.
The Guild diverted the half pay leave for the term of the contract. The half
pay leave diversion will be valued at $60,000 a year during the life of
this contract.
c. The Board of Trustees is authorized and directed to adopt the
following long-term funding policy immediately.
The Fund co-consultants will produce with the annual actuarial
valuations a seven-year actuarial projections with the goal of identifying
future funding deficiencies (defined as where the negotiated contributions are
not enough to satisfy the minimum required contributions under Internal
Revenue Code Section 412). These
annual projections will be based on the following: ·
Projections will take into account only negotiated
contributions. ·
Use of the assumptions in the then current annual
actuarial valuation as jointly agreed to by the Fund’s co-consultants. ·
No unanticipated actuarial gains or losses during the
projection time period.
If the annual projection indicates any future funding deficiencies
during the seven-year projection, the Board of Trustees is authorized and
directed to amend future benefit accruals (or any other non-protected
benefits), effective immediately, in order to eliminate the projected future
funding deficiencies.
In the event that the Post-Gazette is required to make any additional
contributions above the negotiated contribution rates in order to avoid
funding deficiencies, the Post-Gazette will receive a dollar for dollar credit
towards the next subsequent plan year’s contributions.
When the Board of Trustees reduces benefits to eliminate the future
funding deficiencies they shall take into account that these contribution
credits will be taken as a reduction in the negotiated contributions in the
next plan year.
d. The parties agree to investigate the viability of merging the
pension plan with another willing plan. Neither
party shall reject a merger of the pension plan without good cause if the
merger satisfies the following conditions:
1) the terms of the merger comply with Internal Revenue Code Section
414(l), ERISA Section 208, and any other applicable law or regulation; 2) the
Employer’s pension contributions shall not be increased for the duration of
this agreement; and, 3) surplus assets of the pension plan remaining after the
merger, if any, will inure to the benefit of the Employees.
e. Any deadlocked Trustee motion relating to a reduction in benefits
required under the Long Term Funding Policy in numbered paragraph 3 above as
well as any dispute between the parties regarding the provisions of this
agreement shall be arbitrated on an expedited basis, with the arbitration to
take place not later than sixty (60) days following the Trustees’ meeting at
which the deadlock occurs or the date that one party advises the other of a
dispute regarding the interpretation or application of this agreement. Details of the pension plan status
and its benefits are outlined in a separate document signed by the Company
and the Guild. ARTICLE
XXI Privilege
Against Disclosure 1.
An employee may refuse to divulge the confidential source of any
published material or material offered for publication, except to the Company
or his representatives, including counsel.
Subject to the foregoing requirements of disclosure, the Company
agrees to support an employee who refuses to give up custody of, or to
disclose, any unpublished confidential information, notes, records, documents,
films, photographs or tape recordings which relate to news he gathered in
connection with published material or to disclose the source of such
unpublished material. 2.
The Company shall notify
the employee concerned and the Guild of any formal demand on the Company
for such surrender of unpublished material or disclosure of the source of any
published or unpublished material. Likewise,
the employee shall notify the Company
of any demand on the employee for such surrender of unpublished material or
disclosure of the source of any published or unpublished material. 3.
Should the employee be proceeded against under the law, the Company
agrees to provide legal counsel, if requested by the employee, selected by the
Company of the employee at the Company's
expense, and, in such event, to indemnify the employee against any fines or
damages, provided the employee has complied with the requirements of paragraph
1 and 2 above, and follows the advice given by counsel supplied by the Company. 4.
Provided that the employee fully complies with the requirements of
paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above he shall suffer no loss under the collective
bargaining Agreement as a result of his refusal to surrender unpublished
material or disclose the source of any published or unpublished material to
any federal, state, or municipal court, grand jury, agency, department,
commission or legislative body. 5.
Notwithstanding paragraph 1 above, in libel actions against the Company
concerning published material, where, in the opinion of the Company's
counsel the employee should disclose the source of such published material for
the defense of the Company, the
employee agrees to disclose the source of the published material. ARTICLE XXII Management Rights
Except as modified or restricted by this Agreement, all statutory and
inherent managerial rights, prerogatives and functions are retained and
invested exclusively in the Company, including, but not limited to, the right
to reprimand, suspend, discharge or otherwise discipline employees for just
cause; to determine the number of employees to be employed; to hire employees,
determine their qualifications, and assign and direct their work; to promote,
demote, transfer, lay off and recall to work in accordance with the provisions
of this Agreement; to determine the products to be produced and/or the
services to be rendered; to maintain the efficiency of operations; to set
starting and quitting times; to determine the personnel, methods, means and
facilities by which operations are conducted; to determine reasonable
standards of production; to issue, amend and revise reasonable rules and
policies in accordance with applicable law; to cease any department, operation
or service; to control and regulate the use of machinery, facilities,
equipment and other property of the Company; introduce new or improved
research, production, service, distribution and maintenance methods,
materials, machinery and equipment; to determine the number, location and
operation of departments, divisions and all other units of the Company; and to
take action necessary to determine, manage and fulfill the mission of the
Company. The Company's failure to
exercise any right, prerogative or function hereby reserved to it, or the
Company's exercise of any such right, prerogative or function in a particular
way, shall not be considered a waiver of the Company's right to exercise such
right, prerogative or function or preclude it from exercising the same in some
other way not in conflict with the provisions of this Agreement. ARTICLE
XXIII Term
and Renewal 1.
This Agreement shall commence on the first day of August
2010, and expire on the thirty-first day of March
2013. 2.
Not less than 60 days prior to the expiration of this Agreement either
party desiring to open negotiations for a new Agreement shall submit its
proposals for such new Agreement in writing to the other party.
The respondent party, if it desires to file a counter proposal of the
conditions it will seek to establish, shall do so at the earliest practicable
date, but in any event not longer than thirty (30) days from receipt of notice
by the moving party. In the
absence of such statement within the prescribed time limit, the existing
Agreement becomes automatically the proposal of the respondent party.
The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall remain in effect as
long as negotiations continue, but in the event a new Agreement is arrived at
within four (4) months of the submission of the new proposal, all the terms
and conditions of the new Agreement shall be retroactive to the date of the
expiration of this Agreement. NEWSPAPER
GUILD OF PITTSBURGH/COMMUNICATIONS
WORKERS OF By:
______________________________________ Date:
______________________
Mike Fuoco By:
______________________________________ Date:
______________________
Ken
Fisher PG
PUBLISHING COMPANY By:
___________________________________
Date: ______________________
Stephen B. Spolar, Vice President of Human Resources Statement
of Policy The
Post-Gazette always adhered to the principle that journalists must be free of
obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.
We assume that members of the editorial staff are honest and honorable,
and that none would show favoritism in exchange for favors or gifts. The
Post-Gazette, like many other news organizations, has become concerned in
recent years about the practice that has flourished in many newsrooms of
permitting employees to accept favors and gifts, many of which have been sent
to home addresses. Today, with the
public becoming increasingly critical of newspapers and their credibility, we
must be concerned about even the appearance of impropriety.
Anybody who thinks he is influencing news play by favors or gifts, even
if he is not, is going to convince at least a dozen other persons that
journalists can be bought. After
reviewing past practices, the Post-Gazette has decided to issue a statement of
professional standards that will apply to all persons who gather, write or
edit news. The sole purpose of
this statement is to strengthen the Post-Gazette's reputation for integrity
and high journalistic standards. Reduced
to its simplest form, the Post-Gazette's belief is that gifts, favors, free
travel, special treatment or privileges can compromise the integrity of
journalists and their employers. Nothing
of value should be accepted by journalists or their employers. The
complete policy statement follows: Free
Tickets and Passes Free
tickets or passes to sports events, movies, theatrical productions, circuses,
ice shows, amusement parks or other entertainments may not be accepted or
solicited by staff members. Working
reporters, however, may accept passes to events where there are special
facilities such as press boxes or tables -- for which tickets are not sold.
Reviewers may accept tickets for the purpose of reviewing plays or
movies, but they may not solicit such tickets for other staff members or
friends. Season passes to movies
may not be accepted. Gifts
and Gratuities Gifts
of insignificant value -- a pencil, pen, calendar, key chain or such -- may be
accepted if it would be awkward to refuse or return them.
All other gifts should be declined. Staff
members may not accept any gifts of liquor, wine or beer.
In no instance may a staff member accept cash. A
gift that exceeds token value should be returned promptly with an explanation
that it is against Post-Gazette policy. If
it is impossible to return the gift, the company will donate it to a charity. Travel Junkets,
free trips and reduced rate or subsidized travel may not be accepted.
An exception may be made, however, when free or reduced rate
transportation is the only means available to cover an event (such as a
military flight or a trip arranged by a foundation or government).
Staff members must consult with the managing editor before accepting
such arrangements. Staff
members may travel on chartered planes (with a sports team or political
candidate, for example) and take advantage of charter rates, hotel bookings or
other services offered by a news source. All
such trips must be approved by the managing editor. In
every instance, the news value of a trip will be the determining factor in
approving or disapproving Post-Gazette participation. Use
of Merchandise or Products Staff
members should not accept the free use or reduced rate purchase of merchandise
or products for personal pleasure when such an offer involves the staff
member's newspaper position. This
includes the loan or cut-rate purchase of such things as automobiles,
furniture, boats, appliances, clothing and sporting goods. A
staff member may drive or use a product for a short time to test or evaluate
it for news or feature articles or for photography.
Extended or regular use of products for these purposes is prohibited. Miscellaneous Entertainment
-- Where possible, Post-Gazette staff members should pay for meals and drinks
when on company business. Dinner
or cocktail parties are allowed if the event relates to news coverage or if it
is valuable for background. "Freeload"
affairs that have little or no news value should be avoided.
This includes such things as special entertainment and
parties for the press and families. Memberships
-- Free or reduced rate memberships in private clubs or organizations should
not be accepted. Books,
Recordings, Games – Books,
recordings and electronic games that are supplied to designated
reviewers may be accepted for that purpose.
Staff members should not solicit such items, however. All
staff members should be aware that good judgment is more effective than any
rules or regulations. Copies of
the Post-Gazette's policy statement may be obtained from the business office
and may be sent to news sources when gifts or favors are declined.
John Robinson Block, Publisher
and Editor-in-Chief Memorandum
of Understanding
This
Memorandum of Understanding, made this 30th day of January, 1998, shall be
incorporated into the Labor Agreement, effective January 1, 1998, between the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh.
The purpose of this MOU is to establish guidelines and recognize the
news gathering agreement between KDKA and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Company and the Guild agree as follows: 1.
Participation will be voluntary. 2.
Credit lines and/or bylines will follow the current policy as well as
the collective bargaining agreement. 3.
There will be no compensation for employees who appear on the air while
they are in the Post-Gazette newsroom or a news bureau. 4.
Employees will be paid $25 for on-shift appearances when they must
travel to the KDKA television studio. 5.
Employees will be paid $50 for off-shift appearances. 6.
This MOU recognizes the jurisdiction agreement-which is pending-between
AFTRA and KDKA FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE:
FOR THE GUILD: __Raymond
DATE:
___Feb. 5, 1998_______________
DATE: __Feb. 5, 1998__________________ MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
PG
SPEAKERS' BUREAU POLICY (March
2, 1995) Staffers
making speaking appearances involving their professional role as staff members
of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will be compensated when the appearance has
been scheduled through the Post-Gazette Speakers' Bureau. Appearances
scheduled during the staff member's regular working hours will be compensated
at $25. Appearances scheduled
during the staff member's non-working hours will be compensated at $50.
No mileage, parking or meal costs will pertain.
In the case of out-of-town appearances, the Speaker's Bureau will
attempt to make arrangements for the organization to provide reimbursement of
travel expenses. Staffers
contacted for a speaking engagement must first refer the inquiring party to
Barbara Bogucki, assistant to the editor, who will set up the details and
review the eligibility. The
Marketing Department will develop speaking engagements for staffers by
publicizing the Bureau in the paper and through a mail-out brochure.
The minimum recommended group size for eligibility is 25.
Academic classes will be given separate consideration. The
Speaker’s Bureau will negotiate fees with groups and set up a share with the
staffer over and above the minimums on a case-by-case basis.
The idea is for these appearances to help underwrite appearances before
groups in our community that cannot afford to pay such fees.
After clearing its costs each year, the Bureau will donate any
remaining newspaper share of bureau revenues to PG charities. Staffers who have
already made their own arrangements to speak before groups in the community
before March 3, 1995 would be free to meet those commitments.
However, they must notify the company about these arrangements right
away Staffers interested in participating in the
Speakers' Bureau should contact Barbara and let her know that they would like
to participate as soon as possible.
WHY THE
IS
THE
COMPANY PROVIDES: *A
pension plan with vested rights after 5 years of credited service that
provides a monthly retirement income with optional methods of payments based
on a maximum of 30 years of service. The
Plan further provides provisions for early retirement, disability benefits, an
in-service death benefit and a retirement death benefit.
The Plan is independent of Social Security benefits.
During the life of this Agreement the total Post-Gazette contribution
to the pension plan will be approximately $2,500,000. *The
Company provides comprehensive health, dental and optical insurance for all
employees, their spouses and student dependents. *Group
Life Insurance, based on salary, without cost to the individual.
The amount of insurance is one times your annual salary with a maximum
of $50,000. *Annual
vacation with a full week's pay for each week, granted as follows:
Service
Vacation
*Ten holidays with pay annually for every full-time Post-Gazette
employee. *A
generous sick leave policy. *The
opportunity to be recognized for outstanding achievement while working for one
of the nation's finest newspapers. (This
page is not part of the contract) A
Guild Contract Protects You... It
enforces the right of collective bargaining by
the employees. It
establishes and protects working conditions. It
expedites the settlement of all grievances. It
establishes the five-day, 40-hour
week for newspaper workers. It
sets decent wage standards which cannot be reduced. It
protects long service with severance pay. It
continually strives to better the lot and security of its members. It
guards the rights of discharged employees and secures benefits. It
protects the newspaper workers in their job and severance rights. It
gives voice, democratically, to each individual member and is guided by each
individual vote. It
furnishes the machinery to establish quality, through local and national
officers, through experienced newspapermen, negotiators and legal talent, and
through its strength of numbers. Unionism
is the democratic process whereby employees may participate in the economic
democracy of our definitely established national policy.
This policy guarantees your right to organize and bargain collectively.
It means your job is recognized as your estate and is protected as is
any property right. Our
employers have given us wide recognition, have established a better spirit of
cooperation and have sat down with us on many mutual problems. Don't
overlook this fact: A sound organization is your greatest guarantee of
continued security. Keep your
Guild sound by your willingness to serve in its operations. (This
page is not part of the contract) MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding is in addition to the Labor Agreement effective January 1, 1998,
between the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Effective January 1, 2001, the Company and the Guild agree as follows: 1.
All
employees hired during 2000 who are covered by Article XII of the contract
(Holidays) are entitled to the Birthday holiday in 2001. 2.
All
eligible employees hired after January 1, 2001, will be entitled to their
Birthday holidays in the next calendar year.
For example, one employee is hired January 3, 2001, and another
employee is hired December 30, 2001; both are entitled to their Birthday
holidays in 2002. 3.
Although
the intention of the Birthday holiday was for an employee to take his Birthday
as the holiday, the practice has been to use the Birthday holiday as a
personal day. Therefore, with this
MOU, all eligible employees may use their Birthday holidays as personal days. 4.
The
12-month waiting period for personal days is waived for the Birthday holiday. FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE
FOR THE GUILD Raymond
N. Burnett
W. Michael Bucsko DATE:
Dec. 11, 2000
DATE: Dec. 12, 2000 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of
Pittsburgh is in addition to the current labor agreement that expires December
31, 2006. Effective March 12,
2003, the Company and the This
Memorandum of Understanding does not change the overtime provisions of the
contract or the past practice of employees (part time and full time)
functioning as stringers outside of their normally assigned duties. One
of the purposes of this Memorandum of Understanding is to resolve the
grievance over a part-time employee functioning as a stringer on his off day. FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE
FOR THE GUILD __________________________
___________________________ Raymond
N. Burnett
Mike Bucsko DATE:
3/12/03
DATE:
3/12/03 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of
Pittsburgh is in addition to the labor agreement that expires December 31,
2006. Effective March 12, 2003,
the Company and the Guild agree as follows: ·
For
the purpose of paying the negotiated Vacation and Service bonuses, part-time
employees will be treated the same as full-time employees. ·
Paragraph
C of the Preamble will be amended as follows, “To cover possible special
cases the Publisher shall have the right to designate exemption from Article I
– Guild Shop – certain employees at the time of their employment, but not
more than one such employee will be on the payroll at any given time.” ·
The
Guild will relinquish all jurisdiction over the work formerly performed by one
clerk and one news assistant assigned to the department often referred to as
PG Store/Information Products. ·
The
Guild will withdraw the grievance of January 30, 2003 over the Company’s
decision to pay proportionate bonuses to part-time employees. ·
Part-time
employees who have already received proportionate bonuses will be made whole. FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE
FOR THE GUILD ________________________________
___________________________________ Raymond
N. Burnett
Mike Bucsko DATE:
3/12/03
DATE:
3/12/03 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding, effective August 1, 2003, by and between the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, is in addition to the
Labor Agreement that expires on December 31, 2006.
The Company and the ·
One
of the provisions of the agreement pertaining to the 10 exempt employees who
became members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh in 2002 was that they
would remain in the pension plan for non-bargaining unit employees. ·
Implicit
in that agreement was the recognition that the 10 former exempt employees
would not be eligible for the Guild pension. FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE
FOR THE GUILD _________________________________
__________________________________ Raymond
N. Burnett
Mike Bucsko DATE:
7/29/03
DATE: 8/13/03 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding, effective August 1, 2003, by and between the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, is in addition to the
Labor Agreement that expires on December 31, 2006.
The Company and the ·
The
six paid holidays—New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas—shall be treated the same as personal
days for employees who individually average fewer than 20 hours per week and do not work the holiday.
(See Article XII, Paragraph 5.) ·
Employees
who individually average more than 19-3/8 hours per week will receive another
day off with pay if they do not work the holiday, which has been the past
practice. ·
Any
part-time employee who works on one of the six recognized holidays will be
paid at the premium holiday rate, which has been the past practice. FOR
THE POST-GAZETTE
FOR THE GUILD ________________________________
________________________________ Raymond
N. Burnett
Mike Bucsko DATE:
8/14/03
DATE: 8/18/03 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of
Understanding effective January 28, 2004, by and between the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, is in addition to the
Labor Agreement that expires on December 31, 2006.
The Company and the Guild agree as follows: ·
The
Company will assume jurisdiction over photo reprints.
For clarification, this involves all work performed by image techs and
photographers that is associated with the creation and distribution of photo
reprints. ·
The
Company will gain another exempted employee as described in Paragraph C of the
Preamble (this will increase the number of such exemptions allowed to two),
with the following provision: the Company will have until December 31, 2006,
to name a current employee to this exempt status.
If the Company does not exercise this option prior to the expiration of
this Agreement, the right to name an exempted employee under Paragraph C will
be limited to a new hire. ·
All
employees covered by the Labor Agreement will receive personal holidays as
described in Article XII, Paragraph 1. Paragraph 5 of Article XII is no longer
applicable. The clear intention of
this language is give part-time employees the same personal holiday benefits
as full-time employees. ·
Effective
January 1, 2005, employees covered by this Labor Agreement with 15 or more
years of Post-Gazette service will receive another personal holiday. FOR
THE COMPANY:
FOR THE GUILD: ____________________________________
___________________________________ Raymond
N. Burnett
Mike Bucsko DATE:
1/28/04
DATE: 1/30/04 MEMORANDUM
OF AGREEMENT
THIS
AGREEMENT made this 23rd day of November, 2007, by and between
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE and NEWSPAPER GUILD OF PITTSBURGH, LOCAL 38061, CWA. 1.
On July 26, 2007, the Guild filed
a grievance over the use of freelance writers to perform restaurant reviews. 2.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has
denied the grievance, and by letter dated August 30, 2007, the Build requested
that the grievance proceed to arbitration. 3.
The parties have reached an
agreement as full and final settlement of the grievance, which settlement
shall be considered a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the future use of
stringer “tryouts”. That
agreement is as follows:
The Company may use stringers to “try out” for vacant Guild
positions (which no Guild member has been awarded) under terms and conditions
mutually agreed to between the parties. In
the event the Employer intends to use a stringer to fill the vacant position
as set forth above, the Company shall notify the Guild and the parties shall
then mutually agree upon the various terms and conditions under which the
“tryout” may be utilized.
BY:
Stephen B. Spolar
BY:
R. J. Hufnagel MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
This Memorandum of Understanding,
between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh,
shall serve as an addendum to Article II of the collective bargaining
agreement between the two parties. The
purpose of this agreement is to establish procedures through which employees
who regularly perform duties above their classifications may receive regular
increases in wage differentials. The
assignment of a full-time employee who has regularly worked in a higher
classification at least one shift per week for a period of more than six
consecutive months shall be considered a regular assignment for the purposes
of salary differentials. In
such cases, employees shall receive credit for shifts worked at the higher
classification, for the purpose of determining periodic increases in salary
differentials according to the minimum wage schedules listed in Article III of
the agreement. In
accordance with Article III, Section 8, Paragraph (b) of the contract,
employees must be assigned to higher classifications for greater than 50
percent of a shift to receive credit for one shift under this provision. Employees
who attain such status, therefore, shall receive regular steps up, per Article
III, in salary differentials, based on the number of shifts worked at the
higher classification. For
the purposes of this agreement, 130
shifts worked at a higher classification shall constitute six months of
service, and 260 shifts worked
at a higher classification shall constitute one year of service. This
MOU will be effective retroactively to September 1, 2008. For the Company
For the __________________________________
______________________________ Stephen B. Spolar
RJ Hufnagel Date: 5/29/2009
Date: 6/9/2009 MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING
The Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh Local #38061 have reached
the following Memorandum of Understanding regarding the hiring of two-year
associates in conjunction with the project known as PG Plus in the on-line
arena: This Memorandum of
Understanding only applies to two-year associates hired as
replacements/substitutes for the Guild members who will be designated for PG
Plus assignments or who will be hired for PG Plus itself; The number of two-year
associates to be hired for such assignments will be capped at 5; Any two-year associates
hired under this MOU will have their probationary period under Article VIII,
Section 5 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement extended to an initial period
of nine (9) months with the option to extend for an additional three (3)
months by mutual agreement of the Company and the Union.
For the Company:
For
the Guild: ________________________________
_________________________________ Stephen B. Spolar
R.
J. Hufnagel Date: 7/30/2009
Date: 7/30/2009 MEMORADUM OF
UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of Understanding between the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (hereafter known as the Guild) and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (hereafter known as the Company) covers only those Guild members who accept the early-retirement buyout offer the company extended in October 2008. This agreement shall serve as an amendment to that agreement and to the preamble of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the parties. Content providers who accept the aforementioned buyout offer shall be free to perform work that currently falls under Guild jurisdiction, under the following limits: Writers may complete a maximum of one freelance submission per week for the print edition, or one piece of web-based content per week for post-gazette.com. In addition, participants may continue to contribute in all aspects of online-only content for post-gazette.com as currently performed. Aside from the exceptions and limits listed above, any and all rules governing the use of stringers included in the collective bargaining agreement shall continue to apply. _________________________________ _________________________________ Stephen B. Spolar Mike Fuoco _________________________________ _________________________________ Date Date EXHIBIT A Medical/Prescription
Drug - Union Groups (Actives, under 65 Retirees, COBRA)
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