Dear Boston Newspaper Guild member,

On Wednesday, we will decide whether to ratify a new contract. The vote comes eight weeks after the membership rejected an earlier proposal. The new contract addresses areas where members expressed their strongest concerns, including Boston.com revenue in the calculation of potential wage increases for 2007 and 2008, and an increase in the Company’s contribution to our health care fund.

As everyone knows, the economic terms of the agreement are disappointing. Wage increases tied to revenue, even with the inclusion of Boston.com revenue, are regrettable, and the Company’s health care contributions are not expected to keep pace with rising costs. Although the Union health care trustees are exploring numerous means to mitigate costs (plan design changes, seeking competitive bids on the plan, enforcing some belt-tightening measures), plan participants’ weekly cost will increase. (Note: Participants’ weekly payments have not increased in 18 months.)

The poor wage provisions and health contributions reflect the dramatic declines in revenue and circulation at the Globe, which by now are well-documented and undeniable.

The contract also has some important positives; it contains virtually no language concessions, and the Guild would gain jurisdiction over most Boston,com work.

As you decide how to vote on Wednesday we believe you must weigh risk against reward.

Voting no and rejecting this contract carries significant risk, as it did in October. These risks have been described at general membership meetings and in letters from the Union prior to each vote.

With another “no” vote, the Company would have the legal right to remove all previous agreements, including potential wage increases and health care contribution increases, from its proposal, and likely would do so, particularly when one considers the dramatic declines in revenue since August (more than 10 percent each month). Rejection also could invite the Company to bring to the table any number of unacceptable provisions, including the gutting of seniority protections and the freezing of our pensions. Subsequently, the Company could declare impasse and impose those provisions. Our legal means to prevent this would be next to none, according to our legal counsel David Wanger.

Rejecting the contract also would keep us shut out of representing Boston.com workers and at arm’s length of the growth portion of our industry.

To realistically expect any gains after another “no” vote, we would expect to engage in a public campaign that could last months and require such measures as marches, leafleting, and in a worst-case scenario, advertising and circulation boycotts, and even a strike.

When considering whether to take this risk, we must weigh the potential reward. In our opinion, given the dismal financial status here, it is minimal. The only way we could realistically expect to get significant improvements would be to agree to major language concessions, something we are not interested in entertaining. And even that may not work.

A potential sale of the Globe could complicate matters further. If we are not under contract at the time of a sale, according to our counsel, our entire contract could be at risk, including the lifetime job guarantee, seniority provisions as pertain to layoffs, discipline protections, pension, and more. In the opinion of our counsel, in case of a sale, we are much more secure to be under contract.

The same risks described above were presented before our last vote. But instead of the unpleasant consequences described, the Union made gains after rejection. As it turned out, taking the risk resulted in a reward. Some members ask, “Why don’t we just do that again?”

The risks were present in October, and are present now. As the financial picture at the Globe and NY Times worsens by the week and considering gains achieved since the last vote, the risks have increased dramatically and the potential reward has diminished. Consider our working without a contract a minefield; just because we took a few steps and avoided a mine in October doesn’t mean we could do the same again.

No one can predict exactly what would transpire with another “no” vote, just as no one can know exactly how the potential sale of the Globe would play out, if it happens at all. We are left to consider the gains and shortcomings of the changes to our contract, acknowledge the security and protections already in place in our contract, and take into account the financial condition of our company and our industry in general. In deciding how to vote, we must weigh the risk that comes with a “no” vote against the realistic potential reward.

In a dramatically changing newspaper environment, this agreement is unique in that it maintains all our current protections, security, and salaries. It also brings in new members and work in the online area, which will strengthen us now and in the future. Our contract is one of the best in the industry, and we all enjoy its benefits, often in ways we take for granted.

The agreement voted on in October came with the endorsement of the Executive Committee. With the added improvements, this agreement carries the unanimous endorsement of the Executive Committee. We strongly recommend a “yes” vote.

We hope all members will take the time to carefully consider the issues involved in this critical vote. We hope you are able to sort through the information being distributed, and make an informed decision based on the facts. But most important we hope you make your voice heard and vote on Wednesday.

In solidarity,

Addendum: Contract Summary

On October 18, the BNG rejected a proposal for a new four-year contract that would run from 2006-2009. The new proposal, which will be voted upon on Wednesday, provides for the inclusion of Bosotn.com revenue and the benchmarks for potential wage increases in 2007 and 20008, and boost the Company’s contributions to the parties’ Health Fund by nearly 20 percent.

In exchange for these improvements, the Guild agreed to forego any potential wage payments for 2006 (which were very unlikely to be met based on revenue figures to date) and to not attempt to organize Boston.com workers who are not included in the integration provisions of the agreement through the end of 2008.

All other provisions from the previous agreement remain in the new agreement. These include the Guild gaining about 40 members as well as jurisdiction of most Boston.com work; language that allows management to require Guild members in Editorial to perform ancillary duties for Boston.com and permits integrated selling with Boston.com; and changes to performance management/discipline language to some outside advertising salespeople.

The wage agreement calls for raises to be paid in 2007 and 2008 if year-over-year revenue, including revenue from Boston.com, stabilizes. There is a wage reopener for 2009.

The health care agreement calls for the Globe to increase its contributions to our health fund by nearly $600,000 for the life of the contract, and increase its ongoing annual payment s to the fund by $330,000 beginning in 2010.

Complete contract language has been mailed to each member’s home and is available in the Union office.

December 8, 2006