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Trouble on our doorstep. Read all about it in the summer/fall edition of The Frontier Reporter
We had some political mayhem and the close of Lee Enterprises’ fiscal year, all of which has spelled trouble for the Guild. Check out new features and all the Guild news you may have from the summer and fall in the latest edition of The Frontier Reporter newsletter.
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Guild executive committee minutes: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019
President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 at The News’ second-floor conference room, One News Plaza.
Motion/Second/Carried McShea/Harrington to approve the executive committee minutes of the September 2019 meeting.
Finance report
Kim Leiser and President Sandy Tan discussed how the finance committee met in the beginning of October to put together a provisional spending plan that would get the Guild through our merger with the Typographical Union.
No budget is ready now because finances will change when the merger goes through, they said. The finance committee has approved a transitional spending plan based on usual finances as well as projected numbers. The full budget for 2020 is expected at next month’s meeting.
MSC Fairbanks/Sommer to accept a the interim spending plan until we have a formal budget.
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Buffalo-Niagara Typographical Union votes to merge with the Buffalo Newspaper Guild
GREAT news!
The Buffalo-Niagara Typographical Union No. 9, CWA Local 14148, has voted to merge with the Buffalo Newspaper Guild. This union currently represents about 60 printing-related employees and retirees, including 24 union members who are active employees here at The Buffalo News.
If the merger agreement is approved by the Guild’s Executive Committee on Tuesday, it will mark the first expansion of Guild jurisdiction and membership since the Guild gained editorial jurisdiction of The Sun papers in 2017. It would also mark the largest expansion of Guild membership in decades.
Typographical Union members voted by mail and in house at The Buffalo News regarding the merger. On Tuesday, the final vote tally was 66 – 1 in favor, including overwhelming support from the two dozen members who work here at the paper.
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NewsGuild re-running presidential election Nov. 12
Earlier this year, The NewsGuild held a hotly contested unionwide election for president. Incumbent candidate Bernie Lunzer faced a challenge from Los Angeles’ Jon Schleuss.
Schleuss and others challenged the results of the election, and a review from the Sector Election and Referendum Committee showed major problems with the way ballots were distributed, particularly to the Guild’s Canadian members. For that reason, the The NewsGuild is re-running the election this fall.
Most members of the Buffalo local will vote by in-plant balloting from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 12 in The News’ fifth-floor cafeteria. Bring a membership card, driver’s license or some other form of ID with you.
Members who do not work out of The News’ downtown building will receive their ballots by mail.
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Guild members march in Labor Day Parade
Buffalo Newspaper Guild members marched with other CWA members at the Labor Day Parade in South Buffalo this year. Here are some photos from the event.
Guild members marched with other CWA members in the parade. -
Guild executive committee minutes: Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019
President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. on in the second-floor conference room, One News Plaza.
Tan began with the president’s report, first thanking and saying goodbye to Vice President Colin Dabkowski, who will be leaving the News on Oct. 4. Tan thanked Dabkowski for serving six years as vice president, saying he went “above and beyond” in his work on behalf of the Guild.
Tan called Dabkowski “an integral part of the Guild’s leadership team.”
“There are a lot of decisions were made that could have gone another way if Colin had not shared his wisdom and insights and always put our members first,” Tan said.
She said she was personally sorry and heartbroken that Colin was leaving.
Dabkowski said the reasons for his departure are many. “I really have loved this work and I’m very sad to be moving on,” he said.
Dabkowski told the committee he felt it was an honor to be involved in the Guild and thanked the committee.
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Guild, News team up to promote Labor Day subscription deal
On Monday, members of the Buffalo Newspaper Guild will march in the annual Labor Day Parade. As part of a series of collaborative efforts aimed at boosting subscriptions, we’ll be passing out fliers to paradegoers promoting “the work of union journalists” with a special Labor Day introductory subscription offer for The News — six months of digital access for $6.
As part of the effort, we’d also like Guild members to help promote the offer by sending out tweets and Facebook posts from their social media accounts teasing the offer and linking to BuffaloNews.com/labor— where your followers can sign up for the deal.
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March in the Labor Day Parade
Guild members called to show solidarity in face of mounting challenges
Aug. 27, 2019 – It’s been yet another challenging year, but the members of the Buffalo Newspaper Guild have stood strong. We remain committed to our mission. We’ve continued to produce, edit and distribute excellent journalism, even in an era of shrinking resources.
And on Monday, Sept. 2, we’ll demonstrate our continued strength and commitment to our community in spite of the difficulties we face. Please join the leadership and fellow members of the Guild as we march in Monday’s Labor Day Parade — it’s as important now as it’s ever been to remind the public of our vital role in Western New York, and we need your help.
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Election committee orders re-run of election for NewsGuild president
The Sector Election and Referendum Committee of The NewsGuild-CWA has voted to order a re-run of the election for TNG President. The committee’s decision and the schedule for the new election is here. The SERC directs locals to take all appropriate steps to communicate this decision and election schedule to Guild members.
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Guild executive committee minutes: Tuesday, July 16, 2019
President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:04 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at The News’ second-floor conference room, One News Plaza.
Secretary Keith McShea confirms under peppering of questioning that there are no minutes.
Vice President for Contract Enforcement Aaron Besecker reported on contract issues.
A settlement has been reached in the in ABC jurisdiction grievance. A grievance was filed; a signed agreement has a new full-time position being created in accounting – lead accountant. it is a Guild position. All Guild work that was out of the unit will be returned to the Guild no later than Sept. 1, per the agreement.
Administrative Officer Kim Leiser said that ABC chief steward Felice McMillion will be paying attention to make sure the work is properly returned by that date.
Leiser considers the accounting job out of the settlement a big win. She said it’s a well paid full-time position; the Guild has grown by a half-position and a new position has been added to the list of Guild positions.
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Guild executive committee meeting minutes: Tuesday, June 19, 2019
President Sandy Tan called the meeting to order at 5:07 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, 2019 at The News’ second-floor conference room (but the one by the computer room, not the usual one), One News Plaza.
Secretary Keith McShea confirms under pointed questioning that there are no minutes.
Vice President for Contract Enforcement Aaron Besecker reported on contract issues.
An advertising section, a new section of the JobFinder, wasn’t labeled as an advertising. The News said they will put it on there.
A recent front page spadea did not say advertisement, we’ve asked that they do that, Besecker said, noting that the contract says we are not to confuse the reader.
There is a “Gusto” guide to dining which is a total advertorial product.
Notes have been sent to management via Margaret Kenny; there has been no response as of yet.
Buffalo Newspaper Guild CWA Local 31026 