Philly Guild has tentative agreement

[Outta Here]

While things still aren't looking wonderful in Philly, at least no one will be tempted to break a strike if this is ratified.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16225720.htm

 

[cranberry]

Congratulations to the Guild folks who fought for the best deal they could get under some pretty nasty circumstances. I'll be interested to see the details on the concessions. The concessions will obviously hurt, but they will hurt a lot less than the deal the company was trying to force on them a few weeks ago.

 

[wickedwritah]

AP story:

By DEBORAH YAO
AP Business Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The largest union for Philadelphia's two biggest newspapers will meet with members Monday for a ratification vote on its tentative contract agreement, the union said Wednesday.

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia represents over 900 editorial, circulation, advertising and clerical workers at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.

Late Tuesday, the guild reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract with owner Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC. Union officials described the accord as disappointing but "far less devastating" than what the company originally proposed.

Jay Devine, a spokesman for Philadelphia Media Holdings, said the company is aiming to save at least $20 million. Layoffs will be necessary, he said, but management doesn't have a firm number yet until it tallies up the savings from all the contracts with the papers' 10 unions.

Newspaper department heads had been told that as many as 150 jobs could be cut from the Inquirer newsroom _ a third of the staff. But there's been talk that the cuts could be half as many.

The union was planning to discuss the contracts details at a membership meeting Wednesday night.