CANTON OKS CONTRACT

Members of Local 1’s Canton Repository unit ratified a new three-year contract agreement Wednesday, July 13. Three full days of “speed bargaining” resulted in the agreement, which takes effect Sept. 6, 2005, except for first-year wage increases, which become effective Aug. 7. Details of the agreement are below.

Minimum salaries, all classifications:
9-6-05: 3.0%
9-6-06: 3.0%
9-6-07: 3.5%

First-year wage increases will go into effect August 7, 2005. Subsequent pay increases will take effect the first day of the pay period in which September 6 occurs.

UPGRADES

Mail Room: Eliminate current beginner rate. Increase starting rate to the current After 1 yr. rate, increase After 1 yr. rate to the current After 2 yrs. rate, which becomes the top rate. Add Minimum Salaries percentages above and add extra 3.0% to the top rate in each year of the contract.

Advertising Artists: All full-time advertising artists on the full-time payroll as of July 1, 2005, shall receive an additional $80 per week, plus the Minimum Salaries percentage increases above.

HEALTH INSURANCE

• Include medical deductible of $200 single/$400 family effective Jan. 1, 2006. Doctor office visits are excluded from the deductible; they will remain a $10 co-pay. Urgent care visits ($25 co-pay) also are excluded, as are prescription drugs.

• Article 12:06 Employer agrees that it shall not change deductibles, co-pays or out-of-pocket expenses, inclusive of prescription drugs, of the current Aultcare insurance program, or any substantially comparable program for the plan year 2006, plan year 2007 and plan year 2008.

NEW MEDIA ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE

New classification added to Article 14:01 with following stipulations:

• Full-time positions only, with a maximum of 3
• $400 per week plus 10% commission on all sales
• Restricted to selling only new media advertising
• Salesperson currently doing bulk of web advertising will get $750 bonus if web advertising taken from him

VACATIONS

Employees may choose to take up to 10 vacation days (was five), one day or more at a time provided the employee notifies and gets approval from his/her supervisor at least 72 hours prior to the day(s) selected as vacation day(s).

FLEXIBLE WORK WEEK

At employee’s request, and with agreement by supervisor, employees can schedule their 40 hours in four 10-hour days within the normal Sunday through Saturday work week. Requests must be made on a week-to-week basis.

GRIEVANCES

The following time limit is placed on the filing of grievances: No grievance may be raised more than 90 days after the occurrence on which it is based, provided, however this limitation shall not apply to any claimed error with respect to salary adjustments, the application of night differential or the application of holiday, military service, sick leave or vacation allowances, and said 90-day limitation shall not limit the remedy for any of the occurrences mentioned above. (Note: Old contract language said grievance requests “... shall be raised with due dispatch ...”)

TERM OF CONTRACT

September 6, 2005 through September 5, 2008.