Grievances

Open grievances:

  • Classified Advertising outsourcing issue, 11-16-22: Former Classified Advertising work has been subcontracted to a Lee hub after the termination of the Media Sales Plus contract.  The contract forbids the subcontracting to any entity owned by or affiliated with The Buffalo News or Berkshire Hathaway. The language of the MOA continues to apply to Lee Enterprises due to the successorship clause.  Adjustment sought: Return all work outlined under MOA #38 that has been sent to the Lee hub to The Buffalo News and re-populated the Classified Advertising Department as necessary.
  • Insurance benefits issues/denials, filed 1-6-23: A host of issues with the rollout of contractual medical, dental and drug benefits coverage, including employees denied proper access to health care and dental insurance; log-in issues; people who are supposed to have family coverage but were listed as having single coverage; Express Scripts not recognizing coverage; and inaccessible Wellmark customer service. Adjustment sought: Correct all deficient benefits coverage, reimburse any out-of-pocket costs to members as a result of transition errors.
  • Loss of holiday and premium pay, filed 1-6-23: Pay problems for people who worked Jan. 1 and didn’t receive premium pay and employees who are regularly scheduled to work Mondays and but who didn’t receive straight holiday pay for Jan. 2. Adjustment sought: Reimburse Guild members for premium pay owed.
  • Former employee benefits denial, filed 1-6-23: Former employees who are supposed to get health care coverage, per their separation agreements, but have been denied coverage. Adjustment sought: Correct all deficient benefits coverage, reimburse any out-of-pocket costs to members as a result of transition errors.
  • Flex credits issue, filed 1-6-23: Employees aren’t being credited with unspent, pretax flex credit money in their paychecks, as required under the contract. Adjustment sought: Reimburse all employees pretax flex credits owed.

Recently settled grievances:

  • Vacation time for new employees, 10-17-22: A new employee was told that she was not entitled to any vacation time despite having worked more than six months and that if she took vacation time in her first calendar year that she would be entitled to only when week in the next calendar year. Result: Company agrees that starting 1/1/2022 current vacation accrual records of all first-year employees to reflect they start to accrue vacation time effective with their first day of employment and may receive paid vacation in the same calendar year after six months on the job, as well as their full allotment of vacation in subsequent calendar years. Guild accepts management’s position that, based on precedent, that float days will be granted during the first year of employment.

Updated 1-27-23