Philadelphia newspaper union postpones $25 raise
By Erina Lin, Friday 29 August 2008 at 15:23 :: Labor & Employment :: #2194 :: rss
Writers, editors, and advertising sales representatives at The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News Wednesday agreed to postpone a $25 weekly raise in order to help the papers cut $10-million costs by the end of this year, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The 700-strong Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia voted, and agreed to push back the raise until Aug. 1, 2009, one month before the current labor contract with Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC expires, according to the article posted on MediaInfoCenter.
“We are fortunate to have this choice,” according to Diane Mastrull, unit chairwoman for Guild members at PMH. She added that employees at other papers face even more severe circumstances.
Mark Frisby, PMH executive vice president, said the vote was an important step in the right direction, which signaled that the company and the Guild could work together, according to MediaInfoCenter.
The company aimed to cut $10 million in costs, Frisby added.
With the Guild vote, Frisby said three of the company's unions, also including The Teamsters and mailers, had agreed to forgo or postpone the raise, The Inquirer reported.
Printing-press operators voted Tuesday and decided not to consider forgoing the raise, while mechanics, voting on Aug. 10, took the raise. Frisby said that mechanics had been laid off to achieve the targeted savings, according to MediaInfoCenter.
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