Our Contract

1. Sole Bargaining Agent

A. The Union shall be the sole bargaining agent in matters of wages and hours and conditions of work for all employees in this bargaining unit.

B. The Union and its officers will organize and operate according to all provisions of applicable laws. The Employer further agrees that the spirit as well as the letter of this provision and Article II, Section 3A (Discrimination), is to be observed so that the relationship between the parties may develop constructively.

2. Union Shop

All present bargaining unit employees, who are members of the Union on the effective date of the execution of this agreement, shall remain members of the Union in good standing as a condition of employment. All bargaining unit employees covered by this agreement who are hired on or after its effective date shall become and remain members in good standing in the Union as a condition of employment on the thirty-first day following the beginning of such employment. A bargaining unit employee who has failed to acquire, or thereafter maintain membership in the Union as herein provided shall be terminated seventy-two (72) hours after the Employer has received written notice from an authorized representative of the Union, certifying that membership has been, and is continuing to be, offered to such bargaining unit employee on the same basis as all other members and, further, that the bargaining unit employee has had notice and opportunity to make all dues payments to the Union. The Union shall admit to membership any bargaining unit employee applying for it, upon payment of Union dues. The Employer agrees that he will not pay the Union dues for any bargaining unit employee.

3. Dues Checkoff

Upon receipt of a bargaining unit employee’s authorization, the Employer shall deduct all dues and assessments lawfully levied by the Union from the salary of each bargaining unit employee once a week and forward these deducted amounts to the Union. Union dues as decided by the Union, shall be paid by all bargaining unit employees covered by this agreement. The following form shall be used to initiate dues checkoff:

BOSTON NEWSPAPER GUILD LOCAL 31245 DUES DEDUCTION AUTHORIZATION

Date........................

TO: The Globe Newspaper Company

Home Phone No. ________________Dept. Phone__________

I hereby authorize the Globe Newspaper Company to deduct on my behalf and pay to the order of the BOSTON NEWSPAPER GUILD LOCAL 31245 an amount equal to the Union’s regular dues, as determined by the BNG.
Name_____________________________________________
Signature__________________________________________
Dept._______________________ Employee No.__________
Address___________________________________________
City _____________________ State _____Zip____________
Social Security Number_______________________________

4. Checkoff on Renewal of Employment

Bargaining unit employees, rehired or returning to work after an absence, or Exemptions to Article VI, who previously have properly executed an authorization for deductions form, will have deductions made beginning their first week on the payroll.

5. Information to the Union

A. Original Data

The Employer shall forward to the Union in writing, as well as on a computer diskette in an electronic format mutually agreed upon, the following information on all employees in the bargaining unit: name, address, telephone number, birth date, sex, race, social security
number, salary, job title, department, geographic location of workplace, employment date, regular schedule of work, whether full-time, part-time or temporary and if temporary the reason for such a designation. The presentation schedule of this information shall be upon written request of the Union president to the Globe Newspaper Company treasurer. The Employer shall present the Union with the updated information and current salary data. This information can be requested twice a year, on dates selected by the Union. The Employer
has thirty (30) days to prepare said information.

In addition, the names of all new bargaining unit employees shall be forwarded to the Union weekly, including the above data.

B. Changes in Status

Changes in bargaining unit employee status shall be promptly forwarded to the Union on a weekly basis in writing by name, effective date and type of change, salary before and after a
salary change, and the reason for a change.

The Union will also be notified in writing prior to the hiring of new employees. The Employer will give the Union written notice of the hiring and termination of all part-time employees covered by this Agreement.

C. Other Data

Requests by the Union for specific records on vacations, holidays, overtime, sick time (including disability), leaves, tuition reimbursement and outside activities shall be granted.

D. Exempt Employees

The Employer agrees to inform the Union of changes of status of an employee entering or being promoted out of the bargaining unit prior to the person assuming his/her new position.

Further, the Employer agrees to give the Union three (3) business days notice prior to the creation of new exempt jobs and changes in existing exempt job titles. If the Union disagrees that a new job should be exempt, it may grieve through the Grievance and Arbitration
procedure. In reviewing the Employer’s designation of a new exempt job, the arbitrator shall consider, but is not limited to, criteria under the National Labor Relations Act and past practice of the parties.

6. Union Business/Time Off

The Union president (or his/her designee) shall be scheduled three (3) days of his/her regular working time off per week at the Union’s expense to pursue his/her duties other than those provided for in Article XI (Grievance and Arbitration). The same rights shall apply (for one day only per week) to the Grievance Chairperson (or selected designee) and to the Union Treasurer (for fifteen (15) days per year). The Globe and the Union may mutually agree to change the Union president’s time off arrangement as it relates to those days off.

If necessary, the president (or his/her designee) may take additional time off at the Union’s expense upon mutual agreement of the Employer. The Employer will also consider timely requests for employees delegated to attend outside conferences and special meetings (not in conjunction with the Employer). All such requests shall be made to the Vice President/Employee Relations or his/her designee who will consider such requests based on the needs of the department involved, and such requests shall not be unreasonably denied, provided they are timely made.

Employees either scheduled or allowed time off at the Union’s expense under this Agreement, including time spent in collective bargaining negotiations, shall be paid directly by the Union for those Union days off. Any Globe employee who is paid by the Union under this section will receive full service credit for all benefit purposes.

In the event that the BNG establishes the position of a full-time, paid president or administrative officer position, and provided that the elected or appointed president or administrative officer is an employee of the Globe, such employee shall be given a leave of absence for the duration of said position, should he/she request such leave.

7. Office Space

The Employer will provide space within the Morrissey Boulevard plant for the union’s use for representation of bargaining unit employees and meetings of contractual committees with management (including preparation for, caucusing during and post-meeting review) only.

8. Bulletin Boards

The Employer shall provide locked bulletin boards suitably placed for the exclusive use of the Union in or near all departments covered by this agreement. The Union shall notify the Employee Relations Department in writing when it decides that additional or new bulletin boards are needed. Such Union requests shall not be unreasonably denied.

9. Strikes/Picket Lines

During the term of this Agreement, the parties agree there shall be no strikes, sympathy strikes, picketing, work stoppage or concerted economic activity of any kind against the Employer and that the Union waives its right to respect any picket line or work stoppage established by any other Union against the Employer. During the term of this Agreement, the Employer agrees that it shall not lockout the Union.

January 14, 2001