After reaching a tentative agreement for a two-year labor
contract with the ownership of The Inquirer, the Daily News, and Philly.com on
Friday night, the Newspaper Guild expects to hold a contract ratification vote
in two weeks, Guild president Howard Gensler said.
The union represents 445 employees at both papers and the
website, including journalists, advertising sales representatives, and
circulation personnel.
Both sides agreed not to divulge terms of the new
contract. During negotiations, they had clashed over seniority protection and
health-care costs.
Gensler said Saturday that he could not comment on
details of the new contract; Keith Black, vice president of human resources for
Philadelphia Media Network, also declined to comment.
Friday's final negotiating session lasted about 11 hours,
Gensler said. He said Guild representatives had decided among themselves around
7 p.m. to continue talks rather than leave and schedule another session.
"We were firmly committed to just say, 'No, we're
staying,' " he said. " 'If we leave here, we may not have a deal. So
let's get it done.' "
Gensler said the Guild will send out a bulletin detailing
the agreement to its membership Monday morning, and then hold meetings for
members with questions that afternoon.
Then the contract will be sent to the Guild's
international leadership in Washington to approve it for a vote. Gensler said
he expected to hold the ratification vote the week of July 5, once the Guild
reserves a hotel and prints ballots.
The Guild's last contract expired in February, and a
federal mediator was brought in in April.
Source: Philly.com
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