The Guild’s bargaining committee met Tuesday with The Associated Press to discuss the editorial unit. The company provided its economic wage proposal to the bargaining committee. While the Guild is still processing this proposal, it is important that we keep our members aware of this proposal and to start hearing your feedback. The Guild did not respond to these proposals during Tuesday’s meeting.
Here is a breakdown of the major takeaways of what was presented to the Guild:
WAGES
–Effective Jan. 1, 2024, increase Class A starting salary to $1,038.28 a week, 2nd year scale to $1,186.66 a week, and 4th year scale to $1,464.16. The new top scale would be 4th year. Employees earning more than top scale would receive a 2% increase.
–2% raises in subsequent years of a new 3-year contract on April 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026.
–Top scale at base pay (excluding economic/city differential) would be $76,136.27 on Jan. 1, 2024; $77,658.99 on April 1, 2025; and $79212.17 on July 1, 2026.
–Senior Journalists would remain at twice top scale and would not receive additional scale increases. They would continue to be eligible for discretionary bonuses.
–Elimination of differentials for night, weekend shifts. Employees would have weekly average from 2023 added to base pay.
–Eliminate OT when covering international assignments including Olympics, World Cup, major golf and tennis tournaments.
HEALTH CARE
–No increase in health care premiums for 2024. There was no word on increases in subsequent years.
–Fertility coverage: Artificial insemination, 3 cycles of IVF and $10,000 lifetime surrogacy
PARKING
–Class A employees who qualify for a weekly allowance (photo and video journalists who carry equipment in field reporting) will be reimbursed for parking at an AP office when AP requires them to be present. No other employees will be eligible for parking reimbursement. Office parking will be provided where it’s available at no incremental cost.
EXPENSES
–Employer will provide essential equipment (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse) for staff in business locations without a physical office.
–Employees may not be able to seek reimbursement for internet, TV, electricity at home.
–Employer will provide DeleteMe or similar protection services.
PARENTAL LEAVE
–Increase parental leave to 20 weeks for birth mothers (this includes 8 weeks currently available under sick leave)
–20 weeks for adoptive parents.
–12 weeks for spouses/partners of birth parents.
CARRYOVER VACATION/PAID TIME OFF
–AP wants to offer a one-time voluntary buyout of any carryover days off. Those who agree would be paid at a 50% rate and would have to agree to do so by Dec. 1, 2023. Payments would be made in the first 15 days of 2024.
JOB CLASSIFICATIONS
–Classifications would be reduced from 18 to 6, eliminated outdated and unused categories (including elimination of News Associates).
- Class A: Newspersons, Photographers, Videojournalists, Producers, Master Control Operators and Artists.
- Class B: Editorial Assistant, News Assistant, Photo Assistant, Graphic Assistant, Information Specialist, Visual Librarian, Camera Operator, Computer Maintenance Controller
- Class C: Senior Journalist
- Class D: Office Assistant
- Class E: Audit Clarks, Payroll Clerks, Picture Clerks, Stock Clerks, Equipment Records Clerks, Assistant Bookkeepers, Keypunch Operators, Telephone Operators, Stenographers and Receptionists.
- Class P: Assistant Cashiers, Assistant Paymaster, Accountants and Foreign Disbursement Auditors
The next bargaining session is Thursday, Aug. 17.