President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m, Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at The News’ second-floor conference room, One News Plaza.
VP for Contract Administration Aaron Besecker issued his committee report.
The Guild and The News ended up settling a classified issue regarding funeral home advertisements; the agreement reached called for that guild member to be paid a commission.
A stringer story ran in City & Region at the end of April; it was an entertainment preview event story which ran with a staff reporter byline.
A reporter took a photo for online, which is OK, but it was used in print on tease page.
The Grievance Committee approved the filing of a grievance regarding the use of submitted photos in Niagara Weekend.
Gentry magazine is not following thee language called for by the contract. There is supposed to be a notice like Buffalo magazine.
A discussion of jurisdiction over the Hamburg Sun included draft language that was handed out to the executive board. The committee discussed various aspects of the agreement, including issues involving seniority.
New business
The Guild is hosting a TNG Multi-District Council meeting at the Millennium Hotel starting Friday evening; the conference is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m; Sunday morning the conference reconvenes. The Guild was interested in having executive committee members attend; Sandy Tan and Kim Leiser discussed an overview of schedule and events.\
Sandy Tan discussed a program she’s been talking to management about, one in which The News would try to solicit good ideas from guild members and all employees.
Various ideas have been discussed for getting people involved, to reward them for good ideas. Sandy and management are looking for people to be on a committee to vet the ideas.
Motion/Second/Carried Bankhead/Davis that Sandy Tan, Dan Kirchberger, Aaron Besecker, Colin Dabkowski and Kim Leiser be delegates attending the TNG sector conference in Pittsburgh (Aug. 3-4-5) and the CWA convention in Pittsburgh (Aug. 6-7-8).
Bankhead offers: “Do we need supervision for Kirchberger and Besecker?”.
M/S/C Tan/Besecker to send Kim Leiser to the CWA District 1 (NY, NJ & northern states) delegates meeting on July 11 in Newark, N.J., if warranted. CWA District 1 asked that representatives from every local should attend.
M/S/C Davis/Gawron to buy 1,000 pens with Buffalo Newspaper Guild information on them.
Meeting adjourned by Tan at 6:08 p.m.
Attendance: President Sandy Tan, Vice President/Grievances Aaron Besecker, Secretary Keith McShea, Administrative Officer Kim Leiser, inside circulation delegate Diana Gawron, editorial delegate/clerks chief steward Susan Kelley, Past President Henry Davis.
Excused: Vice President/Mobilization Colin Dabkowski. Treasurer and ABC chief steward Felice McMillion, editorial delegates Trey Bankhead and Mike Harrington.
Absent: Classified delegate Beverly Gniewecki, Inside circulation delegate Latrice Carr, classified delegate/chief steward Renee Mikler, editorial delegates Phil Fairbanks, David Robinson and Mark Sommer, nightside chief steward Mike Pesarchick, classified alternate delegate Jacqueline Kuma, editorial alternate delegate Jeff Miers, editorial alternate delegate Scott Scanlon, district manager alternate delegate Dick Fay.
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 