Back to the table

The PI’s guild bargaining committee and Hearst negotiators moved closer toward an agreement on a new contract on Monday.

Though significant details remain to be resolved, Hearst offered two additional weeks of severance pay to employees who’ve worked more than seven years at the paper, on top of its previous offer of increasing severance to newer employees.

At serious issue is the way in which employees are (or in many cases, are not) allowed to use their PTO. Both management and Guild agree that people need to be able to use this very important benefit. They will likely continue to discuss ways to assure employees get adequate rest and relaxation from what has become an increasingly stressful job.

In the spirit of providing more incentives for retaining employees, Hearst also offered paying for COBRA health care coverage for three months. Both the severance and COBRA coverage would only be good in the event of a P-I closure stemming from the JOA arbitration with the Times. Guild negotiators countered with six months of COBRA coverage.

Additionally, Hearst negotiators offered:

-- to take steps to ensure employees are allowed to take PTO and notify employees when they are within 40 hours of reaching their limit on accruing PTO. Guild negotiators countered with its original proposal to lift the cap on cashing out PTO as further incentive to allow people to take time off;

-- to increase the split-shift differential from $30 to $40;

-- to provide outplacement services – such as resume preparation;

-- to notify people of employment opportunities at other Hearst properties, and provide references,

Negotiators are scheduled to meet again at 11 am on Thursday in the 1^st floor conference room at the P-I. Observers are welcome.