contract now!

[beat_writer]

I have a question....why are the negotiations taking so long? Why can't we just get a contract already?

[ljphillips]

Very good question, Beat_Writer. Regrettably, there's really no pat answer. Come to the meeting tomorrow at 3pm (15th floor) for more specifics, but here's a quick response for now:

Speedy negotiations for a new contract isn''t the norm because each side sets out to achieve goals that may not be in the best interest of the other side. The challenge always is to get to the middle of the table on both side's proposals to get to an agreement that the company and the union can settle on – most importantly, an agreement that the members will accept. It's a dance, a give-and-take involving strategy and persistence. Add to it the challenge of getting everybody to the table on a regular schedule and ... well, you get the picture.

After a year-and-a-half of talks with the P-T, the parties are down to only two issues – the two big ones: the company's proposal to outsource your job and the all-important issue of wage increases. The Guild is holding the line on the first; there's been some movement on the second. The committee has spent months talking with the company about the likely ramifications of its outsourcing proposal and has yet to be convinced that Guild jobs (and the people in those jobs) won't be eliminated in favor of freelancers and/or contract workers who will work cheaper but not necessarily better.

Ultimately, as a group you must decide when to hold or fold. But to win a good contract, you all will have to show management you are united in support of whatever position your team takes on your behalf. History has shown that if a company sees the workers are divided, they have little incentive to address the demands of those workers.

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