President Pat Gormley called the meeting to order at 5:25 p.m, Sept. 29, 2009 at Communications Workers of America office’s meeting room, 821 Elk Street.
M/S/C Leiser/Fay: To approve the minutes of the August meeting as published by the Frontier Reporter at buffaloguild.org.
Correspondence: none.
Grievance report: Turnbull, reporting for Dick Fay, reports that the Guild is closing out two grievances that have been settled involving Classified; one involving management performing Guild work and one involving incentives. Two grievances remain involving DMs as well as one in Editorial involving ergonomics.
New business:
Report on Executive Committee meeting by Gormley:
– The finance committee is holding off on a budget so it can present a solid budget that should be ready next month.
– A health-care team of Jim Heaney, Henry Davis, Kim Leiser and nonvoting members Marion Needham and Tammy Turnbull has been formed to bargain with The News at some point in the future.
Motion/Second/Carried Fairbanks/Meyer: To accept Executive Committee’s formation of health care team.
Gormley discussed the most recent Labor-Management Committee meeting, which included a discussion of The News’ latest financial data. Discussion that a report regarding the LMC meetings should be put together so membership can review it on the Guild Web site although the report cannot include any financial information.
Turnbull reported that a meeting of The News’ various unions has been put together for Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Snyder reported that the end of August marked the end of the fiscal year and that the Guild will be meeting with auditors in the coming weeks for its required yearly audit.
75th anniversary gala report by Tan: Plans for the Nov. 14 event are coming along very well but there is still much work to be done. More than five pages of ads have been sold for the commemorative program that will be distributed at the event.
Besecker provided an update on musical entertainment, which will include several Guild members performing.
M/S/C Raeke/Leiser: That the Guild provide 75th anniversary gala complimentary tickets to The News’ Executive Committee.
M/S/C Raeke/Fairbanks to accept the Executive Committee’s motion, upon recommendation by the Healthy Locals Committee, that: a three-member committee — as per the bylaws – review the bylaws pertaining to the general local membership meeting schedule with the idea of reducing the number of annual meetings fro 12 to no fewer than four.
M/S/C Tan/Leiser: To schedule the remaining monthly meetings of 2009 as follows: Oct. 27, Nov. 17, Dec. 15.
Discussion of new meeting place; most members present were in favor of meeting again at the CWA Elk St. location.
New members: Diane Lee (circulation), Michael Leone (editorial).
M/S/C Gormley/Tan: To adjourn at 6 p.m.
In attendance: President Pat Gormley, Vice President/Contract Enforcement Dick Fay, Vice President/Mobilization Sandy Tan, Treasurer Bob Snyder, Secretary Keith McShea, Felice McMillon (ABC), Marion Needham, Kim Leiser (inside circulation), Brian Meyer (editorial), Phil Fairbanks (editorial), Carolyn Raeke (editorial), Brian Connolly (editorial), Aaron Besecker (editorial).
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 