President Pat Gormley called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m, May 26, 2009.
Motion/Second/Carried, Gormley/Tan: To approve minutes of the April 2009 meeting as they appeared in the Frontier Reporter.
Correspondence: None.
Committees:
Grievances: Fay advised that there are six or seven grievances outstanding, all involving scheduling part-timers. In some cases, management is not scheduling by seniority as stated in the contract. An instance in Classified is jurisdictional, where managers are performing Guild work.
Mobilization: Tan reported that the Healthy Locals Committee is nearly ready to distribute surveys to members, part of an effort to get feedback from rank-and-file members in an effort “to see how we can improve how the Guild functions.”
M/S/C Tan/Irwin: To turn over the maintenance and operation of the Guild Web site from OtherWisz to Guild members Dan Kirchberger and Joe Popielkowski of Editorial in an effort to reduce costs and increase effectiveness and timeliness of updates; hopes are to have a new site online in June or July.
Tan reported that Tricia Clark, Steve Watson and Aaron Besecker are helping organize the 75th anniversary celebration and sought guidance from the Finance Committee for budgetary guidelines.
It was again said that this would be the Guild’s only social activity of the year, Initial discussions were to have an event in late fall. It was also suggested the union continue to hold a holiday party and make the 75th anniversary a major theme. The Finance Committee reported through Fay, Snyder and Irwin that any funding for an event would be severely limited due to budgetary constraints.
Tan mentioned the mobilization committee was discussing the purchase of polo shirts with the Guild logo. A 75th anniversary logo also is being designed with the help of Guild member Adam Zyglis of Editorial.
Old business:
M/S/C Snyder/Tan: To nominate Kim Leiser to represent the local at The Newspaper Guild/CWA Conference in Washington, D.C. and to have her issue a report on the conference.
New business:
M/S/C McMillion/Gormley: To elect Carol Jones to one of ABC’s spots on the Executive Committee.
M/S/C Gormley/Irwin: To retain attorney Bob Reden for another year. Gormley said that while some legal services are available through the national Guild, it is useful and necessary to have our own counsel.
Discussion of the Guild’s office space and whether our office will relocate. Gormley alluded to financial difficulties of the Guild, saying, “we have to cut where we can cut, and this is one of the biggest places.” The Larkin may offer different space within the building; there is also an office on Chippewa that the Guild is considering; discussion of where the Guild would hold meetings after moving into smaller office space.
Turnbull placed on the agenda for next month whether to schedule meetings beyond June; once the Healthy Locals Committee is finished with its surveys and reports, the Guild could decide whether there should be fewer meetings or more meetings and when to schedule them.
New members: Lisa Carter, Matthew Furey, Christopher Hermanson, Shawn Leonard, Joshua Layton, Gerald Paradise, Bryan Staniszewski, James Steimer, Michael Tatko, Susan Taylor Maroney, David Williams; all part-time district managers.
M/S/C Snyder/Fay: To waive the re-up Guild fee for Layton.
M/S/C Gormley/Tan to adjourn at 7:55 p.m.
In attendance: Pat Gormley, Dick Fay, Bob Snyder, Dave Irwin, Keith McShea, Kim Leiser, Sandy Tan, Felice McMillon, Carol Jones, Dan Herbeck, Brian Meyer, Tammy Turnbull.
Excused: Phil Fairbanks, Jim Heaney and Bev Gniewecki.
Respectfully submitted,
Keith McShea
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 