President Pat Gormley called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m, April 28, 2009. Motion/Second/Carried, Gormley/Heaney: To approve minutes of the March 2009 meeting as they appeared in the Frontier Reporter.
Correspondence: None.
Committees:
Grievances: Fay advised that all members should be aware of how the The News’ cutbacks have affected the workplace and how management is handling those adjustments. Gormley stressed that the Guild and members “need to start watching the work.”
Mobilization: Tan reported that the mobilization committee hasn’t met since the finalization of The News’ cutbacks. Tan said her “jaw hit the floor” when she received the most recent bill for maintenance of the Guild’s Web site. It was discussed that the mobilization committee will pursue avenues to reduce costs.
Tan also noted that the Web site did garner a record amount of traffic recently; but that there are also further improvements to be made, such as the grievance page.
The 75th anniversary of the Buffalo Guild is this year. Tan said the committee is exploring ways to celebrate the occasion – possibly in combination with other Guild social events in an effort to keep costs down. Gormley stressed the importance to honor the history of the Guild.
New Business:
M/S/C Heaney/Snyder: To appoint members to represent the Guild on the Labor Management Committee that was bargained as part of the recent settlement regarding The News’ cutbacks and that they include a core group with one permanent representative from each Guild department and two from Editorial; that meetings be open to other interested members on a case-by-case basis, depending on the issues to be discussed; and that we instruct our local service representative to request a meeting with the company as early as May as allowable.
M/S/C Fairbanks/Heaney: That Jim Heaney be chairman of the Guild’s representatives to the LMC.
Turnbull said the Newspaper Guild sector conference will be June 18-20 in Washington, D.C., with the CWA conference to follow on June 22-23 in Washington; and that next month’s agenda include discussion about who would be interested in going.
Gormely said the Guild is faced with replacing Local Secretary Joe Lapi because Lapi was one of the district managers forced to take a buy out. Gormley asked for nominations. Fairbanks nominated Keith McShea of Editorial. There were no other nominations.
M/S/C Fairbanks/Tan: To elect Keith McShea of Editorial as Guild secretary.
M/S/C Heaney/Leiser: To divide the stipend formerly earned by Tina Oullette as Classified Advertising’s chief steward amongst four Guild members who are interested in sharing the duties. Turnbull said it would be a temporary situation and that she is working closely with the group.
Fairbanks discussed the WNY Labor Today Web site, which is a pay-for-link Web site that the Guild might be interested in investigating.
Gormley reported that Local 1122 is conducting an informational picket May 1 at Summer and Barker; the local is seeking wage increases from the Red Cross.
M/S/C Fairbanks/Tan: To elect Henry Davis to one of the Editorial Department’s spots on the executive committee.
There remain spots to be filled for Editorial, ABC and inside circulation.
M/S/C Heaney/Tan: A resolution to notify management that the Guild would like the holiday of July 4 (which falls on a Saturday) to be scheduled as Friday, July 3.
New members Kris Powers, Gerald Lewandowski, Erin Stahl and Steve Hlavaty; all part-time district managers.
M/S/C Snyder/Leiser: To waive the re-up Guild fee for Hlavaty.
M/S/C Gormley/Heaney to adjourn at 7:55 p.m
In attendance: Kim Leiser, Dave Irwin, Phil Fairbanks, Jim Heaney, Brian Meyer, Robert Snyder, Pat Gormley, Tammy Turnbull, Sandy Tan, Dick Fay, Geoff Nason, Keith McShea, Felice McMillion.
Respectfully submitted,
Keith McShea, Secretary
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 