President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 at The News’ second-floor conference room, One News Plaza.
The meeting was called after this morning’s news that The Buffalo News was sold to Lee Enterprises.
Tan informed the executive committee of what she knew about the sale.
She pointed to the two tweets that the Guild had sent out via @BuffaloGuild:
“We are shocked and deeply concerned about the sale of @TheBuffaloNews to Lee Enterprises. We care deeply about all the employees here that this affects, including the more than 200 staffers represented by the Guild.
…
Our leadership team is meeting, and we are in the process of researching and sharing what this means for our members. We will continue to do everything possible to safeguard the outstanding local journalism product that our @BuffaloGuild colleagues produce.”
Tan told the committee to tell fellow members that “we’re doing everything we can. We are researching this and will be communicating more with our members, and that the Guild will be doing everything possible to preserve and promote the outstanding journalism we produce.”
Tan, Administrative Officer Kim Leiser and the committee discussed the Guild’s contract with The News, which remains in full effect following the sale, which will close in March.
The committee discussed the next steps to take for its membership, which would be a flyer/email communication.
Tan adjourned the meeting at 12:53 p.m..
Attendance: President Sandy Tan, Vice President/Grievances Aaron Besecker, Vice President/Mobilization Rachel Lenzi, Treasurer and inside circulation delegate Diana Gawron, Secretary Keith McShea, Administrative Officer Kim Leiser, Typographical dayside steward Karen Hipp, Typographical delegate Kathy Mooney, ABC chief steward Felice McMillion, Sun papers steward Lian Bunny, editorial delegate Mike Harrington, editorial delegate Scott Scanlon, editorial delegate Mark Sommer, Frontier Reporter Editor Ellen Przepasniak.
Excused: District manager steward Joan Portman, nightside chief steward Mike Pesarchick, past president Phil Fairbanks, editorial delegate David Robinson, district manager alternate delegate Bob Snyder, Typographical Nightside steward Mark Hanover.
Absent: Editorial alternate delegate Jeff Miers.
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 