Union News & Announcements

May 12, 2008

TO: P. Steven Ainsley
Harriet Gould
Greg Thornton

FROM: Daniel Totten, President BNG

RE: Management Bonus 2006/2007

The Boston Newspaper Guild is well aware that the NYT/Boston Globe has once again provided bonus payments to its executives and managers.

We ask: is this a fiscally responsible action by a company that is in a “wage and hiring” freeze, has stated time and again it is looking at costs cutting throughout the company, has streamlined, outsourced and bought out and laid off Guild members by the hundreds over the last several years?

Revenue and Circulation figures are shared with the BNG by Globe, with great concern by Globe and Guild of their downward trend.

Apparently this concern is not great enough for executives and managers to forgo bonus payments.

Are these bonus payments for a job well done? Revenue and circulation would suggest otherwise.

Are these bonus payments for forcing members and employees towards enough discomfort that they feel compelled to early exits of their beloved careers?

Perhaps in an act of fiscal responsibility and leadership, management will give back their bonus payments and forgo any future bonus payments until positive signs are recorded in Revenue and Circulation.

cc: D. Wanger

May 13, 2008