Jan. 28, 2009

California Media Workers Guild
San Jose Unit
Monterey County Herald Unit
Bay Area News Group-East Bay Unit

Management representatives of MediaNews Group issued statements today concerning a one-week unpaid furlough for all employees of the California Newspapers Partnership, including members of our bargaining units at the Monterey Herald, Mercury News and Bay Area News Group-East Bay by March 31. The timing and other details of any such unpaid furlough are subject
to negotiations.

We have previously scheduled bargaining sessions with the company for both the BANG-EB and San Jose units on Friday, Jan. 30. Based on today’s developments, we expect the furlough matter will be discussed at that time.

All of us are aware of the difficult economic climate affecting the newspaper industry in general and MediaNews in particular. We are committed to working cooperatively with any management committed to working with us.

As always, our primary goal is to minimize the impact of any cost-cutting on our memberships, and to enhancing job security in these difficult times.

Please contact your shop steward or unit officers if you have any questions or comments.

By Bleys W. Rose — Staff Writer and Guild Unit Chair,
Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Newsroom staff at our 85,000-circulation paper work under a contract we recently extended through 2011. Most of us, including experienced reporters, photographers and copy editors, started 2008 with minimum base pay of $1,100 a week, and our pay will be going up (more…)