Dialogue Continues
on Several Issues
Raised by Guild
by Pat Gormley
Vice President Contract Administration

The Guild and The News have met several times in the last two weeks to try and clear up some  of the
outstanding grievances.

On March 31, we met to discuss the revised sexual harassment policy. The Guild explained to the company that we wholeheartedly support the  policy. However, there were concerns over the  fact that people could be disciplined if they  did not report instances of sexual harassment.  This would require not only the victim to step forward but also witnesses to the incident to report the problem, even if the victim did not.  Dialogue is continuing on this issue.  The News plans to provide training for managers and employees on this subject.

The Guild and The News reached a tentative  settlement on the $6 differential issue in Circulation and Editorial.  There have been notices posted on Guild bulletin boards to assure that all affected members are included in the settlement.

There was discussion on the grievance to cover the snow-day cancellation of work shifts for three members in Classified and one in Accounting  The company is examining the issue.

On April 7, we met again to discuss the anti-union animus grievance in Inside Circulation filed after a union officer believed a phone conversation pertaining to the Guild was monitored by a manager.  The company has since developed a phone-use policy where members will log out and go to the "break" phones and take their calls there. The News says that these phones are not part of the system and cannot be monitored.

The company has provided written responses on the family leave/primary care problems for two members in Circulation  and one in Accounting.  The responses were unfavorable and the local will consider taking the issues to arbitration.
The company then informed the Guild of two policies, both of which local officers find troubling.

First, Laura Dudley, director of Human Resources and deputy counsel, informed us that she initially denies all grievances regardless of merit.  This is disturbing in that a solid, thoughtful response could expedite the entire grievance process.

However, the biggest surprise came in  the discussion over a grievance filed by the Guild contending that The News abused its right to obtain proof illness.  A District Manager called in sick and The News contacted his secondary employer to see if he was working for them on a day he had called in sick at the paper. The News said it is well within its rights to check on employees in this manner.

The News says its right to check is in any case  where the company feels there is an appearance of  wrongdoing.  This was not limited to chronic abuse of sick days, but could be used anytime  the company felt there  was an abuse of time off.

Future meeting are on hold until we receive and have a chance to review the  written responses coming from the company.
We are also going to have a meeting  of the members of the union's Grievance Committee as soon as a common time and place can be set.