President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:04 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 via Zoom.
No minutes this month.
Tan made a desperate plea for volunteers to join the Lonnie Hudkins Memorial Singers.
Grievance Committee Report
Vice President for Contract Enforcement Aaron Besecker said that a grievance in ABC was resulting in management saying they are looking to hire people to perform work that has been done by management.
The grievance committee approved of a grievance regarding the collection, editing and “cleanup” work that was part of daily pagination clerk shifts in the sports department which is now being done out of the Lee Design Center in Roanoke, Va.
Mobilization Committee Repor
Vice President for Communication and Mobilization Rachel Lenzi said she was finishing up the next issue of the Frontier Reporter
She is crafting a letter to membership regarding a request by The Newspaper Guild concerning a situation in Pittsburgh involving sexual harassment. The committee agreed with Lenzi in that our letter should include a link to a New York Times story on the Pittsburgh situation as well as information on how to report incidents of sexual harassment.
Lenzi said the Twitter thread about sponsored content was received very well.
Her holiday cards update, along with Administrative Officer Kim Leiser: Cards were ordered, gift cards are ready; The Guild got a 5% discount on the gift cards. Leiser said the total cost was “just a hair over $4,000” ($453 for greeting cards, $110 in stamps, over $3,000 for gift cards).
Leiser asked for volunteers to assist with envelope-stuffing and stamping.
Old business
Tan told the committee about a bargaining team meeting coming up on Friday; that an off-the-record meeting with management was scheduled for early January; and bargaining is slated to begin the second week of February.
A bargaining survey has been drafted and it should be ready to send out by Friday, Tan said.
The Guild’s meeting calendar has been in limbo due to changing press conference schedules for County Executive Mark Poloncarz, which are covered by Tan. Tan said the Guild would likely schedule meetings “quarter by quarter until we’re out of this mess.”
Motion/Second/Carried Besecker/Osborn to schedule Guild executive meetings on Tuesday, Jan. 12; Tuesday, Feb. 16 and Tue. March 9; and a local meeting on Wed. March 10.
New business
Tan and Leiser said there are several shops represented by our Guild who are behind on dues, the committee discussed various methods to possibly repair these situations.
Tan adjourned the meeting at 5:46 p.m.
Attendance: President Sandy Tan, Vice President/Grievances Aaron Besecker, Vice President/Mobilization Rachel Lenzi, Treasurer and Inside Circulation steward Diana Gawron, Secretary Keith McShea, Administrative Officer Kim Leiser, Typographical dayside steward Hilary Osborn, Sun Papers steward Lian Bunny, Editorial delegate Mike Harrington, Editorial delegate David Robinson.
Excused: Past President Phil Fairbanks.
Absent: District Manager delegate Latrice Carr, District Manager steward Joan Portman, Typographical nightside steward Mark Hanover, Editorial nightside steward Mike Pesarchick, Editorial delegate Mark Sommer, Editorial delegate Scott Scanlon, District Manager alternate delegate Bob Snyder, Editorial alternate delegate Jeff Miers.
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 