I know a few of  you have kids ready to enter college in the fall and could use any extra money available.  If you are a dues-paying guild member the California Media Workers Guild is offering $500 scholarships to entering freshmen at an accredited college or university.

 Download the application at mediaworkers.org. The application deadline is July 15 and winners will be notified by Aug. 1.

Nothing official yet, but Bee management is considering coming to The Guild with a proposal to avert furloughs through another option.

“We have to do something,” said Bee HR chief Linda Brooks during an informational meeting on Wednesday. They will come to us when a plan is ready, Brooks said.

One option being considered is a mandatory vacation burn down, which was proposed in Modesto.

Unlike the reduced cap, which was approved by Guild members a few months back,  a vacation burn down compels employees to use vacation to get the financial exposure off the balance sheets.

The reduced cap didn’t require that people take vacation time, but stops people from earning more vacation when they reach the new cap.

The problem with furloughs, as Brooks explained, is two-fold.

First, by state law managers and senior writers would have to take a solid week off and the company could not make any contact with them during that period.

Second,  and more troubling I would suggest, is that when people are forced to take furloughs, they stop taking their regular vacation. In that case, the company doesn’t get the savings they expected since vacation hoarding means increased liability.

The problem with the Modesto agreement is that the company would not agree to use the vacation burn in lieu of furloughs.

In effect, the company could require them to burn their vacation in July then furlough them in August.

I made it clear we would accept no such deal. In my book it’s one or the other. In no way should we allow them to do both.

Ed Fletcher, Sacramento unit chair

Questions are being raised about whether advertising support staff are being given sales results data — which is key to knowing how much they should be paid based on the new team goal payout.
Without that data, it’s impossible to know how much bonus money they should be paid.
We’ve asked to meet with the company on this. No answer yet.

UPDATE: We’re set to meet Wednesday. If you have any questions you want us to ask, send them to me.

Ed

The CalPERS Office of Public Affairs is recruiting to fill an Information Officer II (Specialist) position to provide media and communications support for CalPERS health care programs. Duties include responding to news reporters; preparing news releases, speeches, newsletter articles, op-eds, marketing materials, publications, and other communications; coordinating press conferences; and event planning. Serves as a writer for the quarterly constituent newsletter, internal employee newsletter, and other special reports and publications.

Exceptional writing, editing, organization, analytical, project management, and communication skills and experience required. At least three to five years communication and/or media experience required.

Who May Apply:

Individuals who are currently at the Information Officer II level or who are eligible for transfer or list appointment to this level are encouraged to apply. In box 12, indicate basis of eligibility (ie: list, transfer, Surplus, reinstatement, etc.). Appointment may be subject to SROA/Surplus restrictions. Surplus applicants must attach a copy of their surplus letter with their application.

If you are applying for more than one recruitment, a separate application is required for each recruitment for which you would like to be considered.

PLEASE WRITE JOB #6292/MSA IN THE JOB TITLE SECTION OF YOUR STATE APPLICATION (STD 678).

Here’s the link: http://jobs.spb.ca.gov/wvpos/more_info.cfm?recno=401231

  Once again - this time in Albany, N.Y. - newspaper ownership is attempting to bully guild employees.

 It’s an indication of how desperate they’ve become and how bankrupt they are for creative solutions to their economic plight.

 According to the Newspaper Guild website, guild members at the Albany Times Union soundly rejected a management proposal to outsource any and all jobs and layoff employees regardless of their length of service.

  In a fit of pique, management declared impasse.  No room for bargaining here. Just old fashioned “bulwarism” - a take it or leave it negotiating tactic.

  This marked the second time this month a newspaper guild stood up for itself.  Boston, now Albany.  Could this be the start of a trend?

   It will be interesting to see how it all sorts out.  The Albany guild, for instance, said it will file a legal challenge.  In Boston, the guild has gone to the NLRB.

   Across the nation,  labor and management are watching intently.  So should everyone at the Bee.

Free multimedia and entrepreneurial job/career training: Luther Jackson of the Bay Area Newspaper Training Consortium is working on getting us FREE training. So, if you’ve been laid off or know a colleague who is, please pass this along: The Guild is working with four distinguished partners to offer free multimedia and entrepreneurial job/career training to 100 to 200 Bay Area newspaper workers who have lost their jobs through layoffs or buyouts. Job placement is an important training outcome. We have designed a survey to help make the training relevant to you and to show a high level of interest to the federal government and other potential funders. More on this will be posted soon.

http://mediaworkers.org/index.php?ID=6553

Company: New Times
Position: Reporter
Location: San Luis Obispo, California
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: $25,000 to $30,000
Website: http://newtimesslo. com

Description:
Full-time reporter wanted for long-term investigative projects, who can deliver strong local news stories every week for a healthy, independent alternative newspaper on the California Central Coast. Our news department works as a tight-knit, collaborative team that encourages individual enterprise. Send clips and resume to econnolly@newtimess lo.com. Ed Connolly,Editor, New Times, 1010 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805)546-8208.

Heads up to all those looking. The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau has a four-month marketing gig they’re looking to fill. The job is posted on craigslist.

  Judging by the closeness of the vote, it obviously was a difficult  decision for Boston Newspaper Guild members to reject  an onerous contract proposal from management this week.

 But the fact they did should encourage those at other papers:  you don’t have to accept the bullying tactics of newspaper owners.

 Someone, somewhere, needed to take a stand. I say bravo to our brothers and sisters in Beantown. It took courage to do what they did.

   No matter what management says, there are always other ways to cut costs and save money than by squeezing working people.  It’s no different in Boston than it is in Sacramento.