Employees of the Star TribÂune approved a proposed 39-month union contract Wednesday. The vote followed weeks of negotiations between the union, the Minnesota Communications and Newspaper Guild, and the company over wages, work rules and benefits.
The Guild represents about 250 reporters, photographers, copy editors, news assistants, circulation and promotion workers, and team leaders who produce the newspaper and website. About 77 percent of voters approved the contract.
The provisions of the proposed contract, which will extend to April 2016, include 2 percent wage increases in 2013 and 2015. Over the life of the contract, those increases would range from $4,000 to $6,000, depending on an employee's job classification.
In addition, the contract guaranteed an 80/20 employer-employee split in the payment of health insurance premiums in 2014, and lifted restrictions on management's ability to edit stories for publication. The contract also added a three-day bereavement leave for employees.
Staff report
