The battle wages on between Time Inc. and the Newspaper Guild – that pesky institution that's not so much responsible for negotiating those buyout packages as it is reporting on them – with no resolution in sight.

At least that's how the Guild feels, after four days of "crunch negotiations" with the publishing giant to reach amicable new terms for its contract. But after hitting an impasse – where the Guild says Time's "take no prisoners" approach and a "blanket, sweeping no" to its proposals – this feuding twosome isn't any closer to finalizing an agreement. Luckily, there's another meeting today, and the Guild is rallying the troops for support.

With a memo!

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ON TIME #10
March 22, 2007

TIME INC: "We Want It All, and We Want It Now!"

Guild compromises are met with company stonewalling

As the last day of the four-day crunch negotiations before the
expiration of the Contract between the Guild and Time Inc. looms, no
settlement appears near. The Guild made major movements to address the
company's stated "core issues" of separation pay (severance and
notice, in our Contract), overtime and wages. Management responded,
basically with no, no and no - and, incidentally, a blanket, sweeping
no to all of the Guild's other remaining proposals.

It is clear to the Guild that Time Inc. is in a "take no prisoners"
stance. Unless additional flexibility creeps into the Publisher's
package of proposals, no conceivable agreement can be reached. It
isn't for lack of trying on the union's part.

*The Guild made an innovative suggestion to allow straight-time
overtime for the company, of up to five hours per week: Time Inc. said
no.

*The Guild made a reasonable initial wage proposal (three years of 4%
raises) based on our current general-increase (GI) raise structure:
For the first time ever, Time Inc. wants all raises to be merit-based,
with no GI.

*The Guild offered to accept the Publisher's severance proposal and
scale down our notice-pay structure, especially for newer employees:
Time Inc. said no.

*The Guild has also shown flexibility regarding the company's
Temporary Employee hours proposal.

Both sides have dropped a number of proposals, but many of the
company's worst ones, including the elimination of sabbaticals and a
severe paring down of tuition reimbursement, remain.

Where do we go from here?

The Guild is hoping that management will rethink its intransigence
before the meeting later today. Thus far they have agreed to exactly
one proposal from the Guild that will cost them any money at all: The
adoption-reimbursement limit will rise from $5,000 to $10,000.

If the Guild doesn't see some gains in this Contract to go with the
givebacks, there can be no agreement. If Time Inc. doesn't preserve
some of our cherished benefits that we have fought for over decades,
there can be no agreement. If the company doesn't drastically improve
its wage offer, there can be no agreement. Having an expired Contract
is
better than living with a bad Contract.

The talks today will probably resume around 1 p.m. in the
seventh-floor HR conference room. The Guild has been encouraged by the
steady stream of employee visitors to the talks, and we in the
negotiating committee encourage all employees to attend. Come any time
after 1, and stay as long as you like.