Union ratifies new contract with The (Baltimore) Sun (480 newsroom, advertising and administrative)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/17371170.htm

Union ratifies new contract with The (Baltimore) Sun
BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press

BALTIMORE - The union representing reporters and photographers at The (Baltimore) Sun ratified a new four-year contract Thursday, ending a month of negotiations that both sides described as cordial and productive.

The union, Local 32035 of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, approved the contract Thursday evening on a voice vote. The union represents about 480 newsroom, advertising and administrative employees, all of whom will receive a $750 signing bonus for agreeing early to a new contract. The current deal expires June 24.

"This is the right outcome for The Sun," Publisher and Chief Executive Tim Ryan said in a statement. "Guild members have shown that they recognize the serious ongoing challenges we are facing in our industry."

Michael Hill, unit chair for the guild at The Sun, credited management with negotiating in good faith - a stark contrast to four years ago, when the union roundly criticized Chicago-based Tribune Co., which owns the newspaper, for its bargaining style.

"The reason we were able to do this was that we set out to have a different tone to these negotiations, for these generally to be negotiations where we both tried to talk about and solve each other's problems," Hill said.

The union approved the 2003 contract proposal, amid much rancor, less than an hour before the previous contract expired. The newspaper made plans to bring in temporary workers to continue publishing if there was a strike.

FULL story at link.