Boston Globe, union reach tentative agreement

[June 24, 2009]  BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Globe and its largest union have reached a tentative agreement that will save the newspaper $10 million through salary and benefit cuts.

The Globe and the Boston Newspaper Guild issued separate e-mail statements late Tuesday announcing the agreement. The deal is scheduled to come to a vote before Guild membership -- made up of 700 editorial, advertising and business employees -- on July 20.

Under the agreement, salaries would be cut by 5.94 percent and language in contracts regarding job security would be altered.

The 23 percent wage cut will remain in place until the Guild vote. In the meantime, employees will receive a lump sum payment to partially compensate for wages lost.

"Our aim throughout our negotiations has been to achieve the necessary savings in a way that causes the least hardship for our employees," Globe Publisher Steve Ainsley said. "We're very pleased to have reached an agreement that accomplishes those goals."

Further details would be made available Wednesday during a Guild meeting, union President Dan Totten said.

Two weeks ago, Guild membership narrowly rejected a contract that called for an 8.3 percent wage cut, unpaid furloughs, benefit cuts and the elimination of lifetime job guarantees for nearly 200 staffers. The New York Times Co. then imposed the 23 percent pay cut, saying it was necessary to keep the Globe from being shuttered.

The Times Co. has said it needed $10 million in wage and benefit concessions from the Guild on top of $10 million in concessions it negotiated with six other unions.

[Associated Press]

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